


One Night Love Affair

by gleekto



Category: Glee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-07 14:04:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16855360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gleekto/pseuds/gleekto
Summary: Kurt and Blaine never met in high school. They each finally make it to college, out of Ohio, to New York City - where they won’t be the only gay kid in the state. So when they meet at the first Queer NYADA mixer of the year in their freshman year of college, eager and hopeful has to be trumped by playing it cool (because whatever). Things move too fast (no big, it’s cool), and they’re left with pretending like it’s nothing (because everyone hooks up  - so what?).One night and its aftermath.





	1. Chapter 1

Kurt isn’t sure why he thought college would somehow be a magic pill gifted to him after surviving high school in Lima, Ohio. His eyes dart around the half full gym strewn with multi-colored streamers and set with tables with red plastic covers and bowls of chips. He tightens his grip on his icy coke, the condensation making sure his hands stay clammy. Great.

It’s the first Queer NYADA mixer of the year and he almost didn’t come. His music history homework is sitting on his desk unfinished and he can practically hear it beckoning to him right now. He’ll just finish up his coke and -

“Kurt! Get over here.” 

Damn. Purple-haired Dani-the-dyke saw him. He’s not being cute. That’s how she introduced herself to him at the intro clubs night on Wednesday. He thinks she thought he would think it was cute. He didn’t care that much, to be honest. She’s a senior and runs this group and tonight it is her duty to make him feel welcome. Double great. He’ll just hang out over by the salt and vinegar chips with a group of lesbians four years older than him. 

The whole scene isn’t so different from high school. There are groups of confident older kids, all who know each other already, all who are just meeting up here to go out somewhere more exciting later on, he’s sure. There is a group of three tight-shirt wearing, gym-bunny looking, athlete boys laughing too loudly by the DJ - sort of cute. There’s a mixed group of awkward looking girls and guys trying too hard to have a conversation. “I’m from Florida,” Kurt hears one of the girls say. And one of the guys is slightly overdressed in a bowtie and button down shirt. Those must be the freshmen. 

“Hey gang,” One of the too tight white t-shirt wearing athletes comes over to his group of lesbians. “Who’s your new friend?” He motions at Kurt.

“I’m so glad you asked,” Dani beams. Oh god. “This is Kurt. He’s a freshman.” Double oh god.

“I figured,” Athlete boy says, but it’s kind. “I’m Matt.” Of course he’s Matt. Kurt extends his hand. Is this flirting?  He has no game. “Are you coming to the football game tomorrow?” This is not going to go well.

“Football’s not really my thing,” Kurt apologizes,  “But I’m planning to try out for the glee club - the Adam’s Apples or something like that?” He figures that’s not going to score him a lot of points. He’s right.

“They’re a super weird group, buddy,” Too tight T-shirt says.  _Buddy_. “But you do you. Anyways, they could use some cute freshmen to spice things up. Maybe I’d even go to a show.” This is definitely flirting.  And buddy winks at him. He is sure he is white as a ghost.

“Oh I probably won’t get in, anyways. Not much use for a countertenor these days, right?” He wants to dunk his head in the red punch bowl. 

“A counter-what?” Matt asks. Dani laughs. 

“Kurt, you’ve mistaken Matt for one of us.” Matt nods. “He just comes to our events to check out the new freshmen.” Kurt is sure he is definitely white.

“Not like that, Dani!” Matt is indignant but Kurt is already executing his escape. 

“Me too, actually. Seeing as how I am one. So I’m just going to head over-” He gestures to the pleasantly awkward group now much more appealing. “See you later.”

Kurt scoots over to Florida girl and manages to insert himself into the circle without attracting attention. Three more sips of his coke, a polite nod, and he’s almost escaped to make his way back to his assignment.

“Hey wait-” There’s a tap on his shoulder. Caught again. He turns around. “You’re a freshman, right?” It’s overdressed bowtie boy. “”I think you’re in my music history class. My name’s Blaine.”

“Kurt.” 

...

"Yeah, it was totally chill where I’m from. Guys, girls whatever. We all hooked up.” Cassie-from-Portland is uber cool in black eyeliner and a black t-shirt, black jeans, and yup, black combat boots. The full uniform. So cool one might call her extra. As in she extra likes to dominate the conversation. “This one time, at senior skip day, we-” Blaine is smiling and nodding and noticing that the long legs in white skinny jeans with a fashionable purple handkerchief around his neck from his music history class has just joined their group. “I’m sure it was like that at your all boys school, right?” 

All eyes are suddenly on him. All eyes except skinny jeans who seems to be glancing at the clock by the door. He’s been asked something. “I mean Dalton Academy is a total gay boy’s dream, right?” Cassie nudges him as if they’re sharing a secret. They’re not. 

“No, not really, actually,” Blaine answers politely. “Westerville, Ohio is not exactly Portland.”

“So true!” Cassie laughs too loudly. “Portland queer nightlife is actually so cool. Let me tell you about-” Blaine smiles and nods and smiles and nods and is trying to find a pause in the conversation to introduce himself to skinny jeans. He is getting slightly worried that he is going to miss his chance because he’s now faced with an ass molded perfectly to those jeans and it’s walking out the door.

“Excuse me, guys.” He ducks away and skips to catch up. He hopes it’s not too forward as he taps him on the shoulder. “Hey wait-”  The jeans turn around. “You’re a freshman, right? I think you’re in my music history class. My name’s Blaine.” He puts out his hand.

“Kurt.” He seems to sigh as he turns around and his hand is kind of clammy. “And yes, I’m in that music history class. In fact, I was about to leave to finish that mandatory delve into Beethoven’s personal life due on Monday.”

“I’m doing Mozart,” Blaine says. It may not be the world’s most graceful pick up line, but he’s not trying to pick up anybody anyways.

“My inspiration,” Blaine is momentarily confused. Kurt seems embarrassed.  “I mean Beethoven’s inspiration, of course.” Kurt is slightly awkward. It’s a huge improvement from extra.

“Of course,” Blaine repeats. “So where’s home?” Blaine figures if this guy’s on his way out he might as well get his campus coordinates. The point of coming tonight was to meet other LBGT kids he might have something in common with. And music history and an absence of stories about senior skip day already have Kurt ahead of Cassie. Sharp blue eyes and his ability to pull off white skinny jeans aren’t Blaine’s focus. At least not tonight. 

Blaine knows how to make friends. He’s great at making friends. He was head boy of Dalton Academy, lead singer of the Warblers. Smiling, friendly, gracious. He learned to bury all thoughts of sex and romance years ago and it serves him well. Everybody likes him. And even if he’s had to let a few girls from their sister school down gently over the years, at least no guys feel intimidated.

“Home? Oh, Lima, Ohio.” Blaine’s eyes light up. “Exciting, right?” Kurt almost laughs.

“I’m from Westerville.” This is an awesome coincidence. “I went to Dalton Academy.” 

“Oh my god, we competed against your glee club at Nationals!” Blaine sees a flash of recognition flash across Kurt’s face. “And you’re the head-”

“Yeah, guilty as charged,” Blaine waves his hand dismissively. “Are you from-”

“The New Directions, yeah,” Kurt nods. “We beat you.”  

It turns out that Blaine’s instinct was right. Thirty minutes later and they’re still standing under the clock and they’ve agreed to try out for Adam’s Apples together next week, lamented the monotonous delivery of their music history teacher, and affirmed their passion for Wicked and West Side Story. Kurt even beat his roommate in some competition, hitting that impossible high note in Defying Gravity. “That is some serious countertenor muscle.”

Kurt rolls his eyes, “You know, that guy didn’t even know what a countertenor is?” He motions at a guy in a tight white t-shirt now chatting with Blaine’s former group of freshmen.

“And he goes to NYADA?”

Kurt laughs, “He doesn’t, actually. He apparently just comes to check out the new ummm,” Kurt looks at him coyly, “merchandise.”

Blaine nods. “I see.” He looks over at white shirt. The guy is definitely hot in that Frat Boi Physicals website kind of muscle-y way. Not that he goes on there very often. But sometimes. “And he was checking you out?”

“I guess.” Kurt shrugs. But Kurt is over here talking to him and not being scouted by white shirt. 

“So no?” Blaine doesn’t want to be the thing stopping Kurt from having his fun. Not everyone is just here to make friends. Blaine knows that. Obviously.

“Blaine, he doesn’t know what a countertenor is,” Kurt huffs and smiles at him. Like they’re sharing a secret. He definitely smiles back. Okay.

“You know when I asked you where home was earlier, I actually meant NYADA home. You were on your way back to Beethoven, right?”

“Oh! Oh right.” Kurt blushes. “I guess I’m still here. But I should probably-” Kurt looks unsure. Shit. Blaine thinks he’s trying to get rid of him. Maybe he thinks Blaine wants a chance with white t-shirt. Oh god.

“No. I meant I was about to make my way back to Mozart too - So if we’re going the same way?” Kurt looks relieved. And maybe happy. 

“Oh yeah. Of course. I live in Sondheim house, just five minutes that way.”

“Oh great! I live next dorm over in Holzman house.”  Kurt looks pink and happy. Much happier than when he was listening to Cassie’s escapades. Happier than when he first turned around  on his way out. Blaine’s definitely glad he came tonight. Every gay kid from small town America needs other gay friends. And now he’s finally in New York. And it’s happening. “Shall we?”

“Let’s.”

...

Kurt knows this scene from every coming of age movie ever. He feels like he’s looking down on it through the lens of the camera, the director who knows where the story goes. 

The walk back to their dorms is unexpectedly connected. Better than the banter in the gym about glee clubs, and certainly better than being teased by ‘big sister’ lesbians. Kurt has always loved being an only child, anyways.

“I’m sure it wasn’t intentional but the whole vibe of streamers and punch in a gym gives me high school dance déjà vu,” Blaine says and shudders.

“I know. Nothing like memories of 7-minute long hard rock ballad slow dances to make the only out gay kid in Ohio feel like a fish out of water.” Some of Kurt’s least favorite moments in high school happened at dances. 

“You weren’t the only out gay kid in Ohio,” Blaine knocks his side. “There was at least one other in Westerville, slow dancing away with Julia from Crawford Country Day Academy.”

“You were out?” Kurt is pleased, if a bit intimidated. Despite Blaine’s slightly over the top but hot enough to get away with it, old school sense of traditional style, Kurt figures that Blaine could likely pass. Especially in a school with uniforms. He sees it in his easy way with people, his gentle masculinity. He might set off Kurt’s radar, but he also might set off Julia’s. But Blaine was out. At a boy’s school. Which makes Blaine proud, but also not totally green. At least not as green as Kurt. Being out and proud notwithstanding.

“Yeah. I was out,” Blaine sighs almost wistfully.

“Dalton Academy held its dances in gyms? I thought only public schools required tuxedos under basketball nets for their finest occasions.”

“I was actually at public school in freshman year. That’s when I came out. And dared to go to a Sadie Hawkins dance with the only  _other_  out gay kid in all of Ohio. Just a friend,” Blaine shrugs. “And we got beat up on our way out of the dolled up gym.” Oh shit. 

“God, I’m so sorry, Blaine.”

“That’s how I ended up at Dalton.” Blaine turns to him, slowing their walk. “They were all “cool” with it,” Blaine makes air quotes. “Dalton has a serious no bullying policy that no one dared challenge. So they’d quip with me about the hottest players in the NBA or whatever natural frame of reference they were comfortable with. But that was it, really. Nobody else was out. But it was fine, I guess.” Blaine turns back forward and puts his hands in his pockets.

“I was voted Prom Queen,” Kurt blurts. 

Blaine raises his eyebrows, “You mean Prom King? That’s great-”

“No.” Kurt puts his hand on Blaine’s arm, looking at him. “I mean Prom  _Queen_. By write in ballot. A secret school wide ploy to bully the gay kid.”

“Oh my god,” Blaine is shaking his head. “Oh my god.”

“It was junior prom. I’m over it,” Kurt dismisses. But only because Blaine doesn’t.

“I’m not,” Blaine is indignant. “I’m not a vengeful guy but I’d love to plot some kind of-”

“I figure that I got into NYADA in New York City, and most of them are hamhocks filling gas in Lima,” Kurt smirks. “And when I make my broadway debut, they’re all getting front row tickets. Of course.”

“Touché.” Blaine knocks his side again but stays there as they walk in tandem. A step closer as they turn and Kurt’s dorm building looms in front of them. “Oh!” Blaine smiles at him and looks up. “This is Sondheim house - ”

“My new home,” Kurt finishes the sentence, turning to face him. Blaine’s hands are still in his pockets and he’s swinging on the balls of his feet. Kurt looks at him face to face. This guy is cute. Seriously cute. Warm hazel eyes. Jet black hair. A penchant for the dapper.  And they clearly have things in common. But they just met an hour ago. The script for a successful romance always leaves you longing for more the next day. 

“I should probably let you-”

“Do you want to come up to-” Kurt says overtop Blaine. He says it too quickly, too shyly, he’s looking at the ground. The bravest seven words ever spoken in the most self-evident unfinished sentence. Or the stupidest. Blaine doesn’t need to know how green he is. Just another Saturday night, right?

“Okay.” Blaine nods, surprised. “Okay.”

End scene. 

...

Blaine steps in the door to the regal Sondheim house  - wood panels, red velvet couches, and a real grand piano gracing the lobby. He makes a mental note to come back another day for the piano alone. It’s so inviting but the sitting room lobby is relatively empty -only three students cozied up, paper loose around them, presumably studying for some quiz or mid-term.

“My room looks something like that,” Kurt motions at the students buried under paper. “Just warning you. I wasn’t expecting-” Kurt blushes, “Company.” Blaine blushes too but Kurt is already a step ahead of him.

This is also not what Blaine was expecting. It’s 10pm on Saturday night of the second week of school, so he wouldn’t expect to see lots of students indoors and studying. He’s sure the campus pubs and New York City clubs are brimming with NYADA’s finest. And he had heard Sondheim house was the most coveted of residences - old school charm with pianos and fireplaces, and it fits the image. He just wouldn’t expect to be here at all. With a guy he just met an hour ago.

Blaine realizes his willful blindness - obviously. He spent years closing himself off from attraction - except late at night with the occasional illicit website (but not tumblr, of course). He was more focused on being popular than being hot. Or meeting him. Hot doesn’t live in Westerville, Ohio, anyways. At least not for him. Blaine never wanted his friends to get the wrong idea. He’s not even sure they would have cared - they were good guys - but keeping any attraction to himself was better than testing the alternative.  He’d see Dave in the locker room, towel around his waist, and before he would take it off while mid-sentence about their physics test, Blaine would stop the conversation, exit the locker room, talk about Dave’s girlfriend. Nothing to worry about here.

But obviously the first Queer NYADA mixer of the year is not the boys’ locker room at Dalton Academy.  It was easier not to think about the reality that this is the context he’s been waiting for - New York City, queer kids, Saturday night. Though thinking of Kurt tonight and his smile and their easy conversation and Kurt’s slight blush when they left together, he wonders what he was afraid of all those years. You don’t like the guy? Don’t go up with him.

Blaine follows Kurt through the hallway and up the first set of stairs. “I’m just on the third floor, so stairs okay?”

Julia, his date from Crawford Day, told him that he’s sexy when he sings. She had blurted out the compliment in her disappointment that he plays for the other team.  _Sex on a stick_ , she said. He even kind of knows what she means (though he’d never admit it). Music opens him, gets all of him - mind, body, heart. Even if he doesn’t really know, he figures he can fake sexy when he’s performing. But there was no stage tonight and here he is, following Kurt-in-skinny-jeans up to his room. They’re awkwardly quiet as they walk up. Or maybe it isn’t awkward at all. 

It’s not that he didn’t think about it at the gym mixer - He noticed Kurt in his white plastered jeans and high fashion clothes, and he noticed Kurt’s eyes, and pink smile, and his ass. But Blaine went to a school of all boys - many of them Lacrosse players - he’s seen hot people before. Attraction never meant potential. It meant the opposite - a warning to put it away in a figurative tupperware to be opened only in the privacy of his own room in front of his computer.  Tonight there is Kurt’s smile, and red cheeks, and an open door. Blaine breathes out and his attraction lingers as he looks. 

Kurt is hot. Definitely his type. He thinks. They are in the same program at an excellent school and love musicals and New York City and not Ohio. They are in the same music history class. Which could be a total disaster on Monday morning. But Kurt obviously worries less about this stuff than he does because here they are. Kurt’s key in the door. He may be inexperienced, but he’s not naive. He knows hook ups are no big deal. Kurt knows hook ups are no big deal. He’s wanted this for so long. A hot guy. His age. Smart. 

Kurt clicks open the door to his room. “Here it is. Home sweet home.”  Kurt holds open the door to let him in.

“Is there a password to enter?” Blaine quips as he steps inside. 

“Countertenor,” Kurt answers coyly. The door clicks shut. “You’re in.”

...

Kurt steals a glance at Blaine whose eyes seem to twinkle with amusement. He is being amusing, but there is truth to it.  Here he is, in his own room with Blaine. Not with Matt-the-gym-bunny who may have very well accepted an invitation. Not that he would have ever even imagined inviting him. Or anyone at all. And yet here he is entering the world from which he was always excluded. 

Kurt knows nothing has to happen. He could show Blaine his view of the next building over, yawn, and call it a night. He could tell him that Beethoven calls and he better finish the assignment or risk the dry wrath of Mr. Goldstein. The possibilities are endless, really.

“Allow me to give you a tour of my cubicle?” Kurt sets down his jacket and scarf and gestures around his room.

Kurt isn’t sure that Blaine wants something to happen. He is also not sure that Blaine doesn’t want something to happen. Or what that something would look like. Not like _that_   - He’s not completely innocent. Despite his distaste for jacked muscles and oversized penises built by testosterone pills, and for explicit content devoid of any romance, he’s still watched Queer As Folk. Three times. Best of both worlds. There was a lot of love in that little soap opera. And a lot of sex. 

Kurt has no idea what the script is tonight but he wants to be here, in this moment, in his room in New York City, with a cute guy with sparkling eyes and good taste in musicals who knows how awful Ohio can be. Kurt wants this. Even if he is mildly terrified. 

Blaine laughs as he twirls 360 degrees. “I think I’ve seen it all.” Twirling is inherently cute. Unfair.

“Are you mocking my luxurious single room in this historical residence?”

“Definitely not,” Blaine places his jacket on Kurt’s desk chair and sits. Kurt sits down on his bed facing him. “I envy your privacy. Though my roommate, Sam, seems like a good guy. Didn’t you say you had a roommate that beat you in a singing competition?”

“Oh Rachel? She lives next door. She insists she’s my future roommate when we move out of the dorms next year but for now, there’s at least a wall between us. Thankfully.” 

“Thankfully,” Blaine repeats, smiling shyly underneath his eyelashes. There’s a quiet pause that feels loaded but before Kurt has a chance to get nervous, Blaine turns quickly to face Kurt’s decorated bulletin board and starts asking questions. 

“Is that your Glee club?” 

“That’s the playbill from the Lima Community Theatre production of Rent, right? I saw that!”

“Oh stage combat class first thing on Monday morning. That’s brutal.”

Thirty minutes later and Kurt feels like Blaine might be able to re-tell his life story. He doesn’t usually talk this much about himself but Blaine keeps asking and talking and wondering and apparently isn’t just trying to get him naked. At least as of right now Blaine is still sitting on his desk chair and smiling and laughing, bow tie still tied tightly around his neck. Blaine knew about Rachel Berry and the famous cracked eggs incident orchestrated by desperate Vocal Adrenaline. Blaine had also heard about the never ending rivalry between Mr. Schuester and Coach Sue, and Coach Sue’s attempts to win over the nun Judge with Christian hymns at the regionals competition. Blaine did not know, though, that Kurt had been a cheerio. Briefly.

“Oh my god, please tell me you have a picture-”

“I certainly do not,” Kurt huffs. Not a chance. “Not my finest week.”

“I bet you look hot.” Blaine bites his lower lip as soon as he says it. Kurt looks down as his heart picks up but hears Blaine breathe in like he took himself by surprise. So is this happening?

Blaine stands up and points to a photo on the shelf above Kurt’s bed. “Hummel Tires and  _Lube_? Should I ask?”

“My dad’s tire shop,” Kurt answers, grateful for the tension break. Again.

“I guess that should have been obvious.” Blaine sits down on the bed, one leg up, facing Kurt. “And you’re probably going to tell me to get my dirty mind out of the gutter.” Blaine is blushing and shaking his head and Kurt wants to laugh because this mistaken innuendo is hardly a fatal flaw. 

Blaine is sitting there, on his bed, in a fitted mustard and brown plaid button down shirt and complimentary forest green bow tie. His jeans are a perfect brown match and his hair is jet black gelled back, Cary Grant-esque. And he hasn’t stopped asking Kurt all about himself. Kurt is sure that this guy, now six inches from his face, has never even seen a gutter. Although he’s pretty sure he has seen the inside of a cute guy’s bedroom before - the move from desk to bed was notably flawless. Kurt takes a deep breath and hopes that Blaine can’t hear him shudder on the exhale. “I can appreciate a sharp mind temporarily in the gutter.” Kurt hopes his acting classes are helping him pass off the false flirty confidence. Well, genuine flirty but false confidence.

Blaine’s eyes have that surprised amusement again. “Really?” Blaine pauses. The tension is crackling again. Kurt sits with it and wills himself not to break it with talk of car engines and summer jobs.  “So it’s okay if-?” The question lingers and Kurt nods his head just slightly, trying to keep eye contact. Blaine doesn’t deflect this time.

“Yeah.”  Kurt answers. “Yes.”

He closes his eyes and Blaine kisses him. Once. On the mouth. Tentatively. “Yes?” Blaine repeats but it’s a question.

“Yes.”

...

Blaine has been waiting for this moment since he graduated from high school. Since he decided he was applying to NYADA in New York City. Since the beginning of high school when his friend Jeff got in trouble for French kissing Jenny Matthews behind the freshmen lockers in his old public school. Since he watched that episode of Degrassi when Dylan kissed Marco. He was eight. 

Now he’s eighteen and he’s here and he’s ready and he wants to make it count. The first kiss was really a question. A prelude. 

Blaine needs to keep his excitement tapped down - this is just another Saturday night for Kurt. One of Kurt’s two options and somehow he is the one here. 

When Kurt says “yes” and kisses him back, less tentative than Blaine, more than his questioning peck, Blaine feels like a bottle opened, desire fizzing and sizzling out. 

Kurt tastes amazing - like mixer fruit punch and spearmint, and his mouth and tongue are soft and open and eager - like he doesn’t want to even let him breathe. And he doesn’t want to breathe because then it would stop. Breathing is overrated when you’re this hungry. He likes the way Kurt’s tongue feels on his, the way Kurt’s hands are firm on his face, the way Kurt’s teeth almost bite at his lips - it’s a lot. And not enough. 

But he doesn’t know exactly how to do this and he has  to actually breathe  and reluctantly pulls away. “I’m sorry, I need to catch my breath-”

“No, I’m sorry,” Kurt says quickly. “Was that-?  I mean I shouldn’t be stopping you from breathing-”

“No! No it was perfect.” Shit. Too eager. Blaine looks down shyly and back up again. “It was good.”  He really just needs to catch his breath. Kurt’s mouth is red from kissing him, his blue eyes flirty and happy. This feels like the same page - like they’re the mirror image of each other, upper lips slightly tingly, warm cheeks. Kurt’s hands are restless and he drums his fingers on his neck as he crosses his leg. He’s waiting for Blaine to remember to breathe. 

“Can I?” Blaine places his fingers over Kurt’s hand and moves it gently away from his neck, leaning in with his nose and his lips. Blaine can hear his heart beating and wonders if Kurt has any idea how nervous he is. How on earth do you kiss someone’s neck anyways? He’s always thought vampires were sexy, swooping down to feed on the object of desire. But there is no way he can pull off vampire. He just has to try -  fake confidence but his enthusiasm is real and he knows people do this. And he is people too.  Kurt tilts his head to make room. Okay. Kurt wants him to.

But a second later, Kurt laughs. “No, no. I’m not laughing at you,” Kurt bites his lip. “It’s ticklish.”  Ticklish is definitely not sexy.

“We can stop-” Blaine says in defense. Terrible idea.

“No. No I don’t want to stop-” Kurt doesn’t want to stop. “Come back.” They’re kissing again. “I think it was just that spot,” Kurt mumbles against his lips. It’s okay. Blaine’s over it. He will sit here and make out with Kurt (no neck) and not complain even once. He just wants to hold on to all these feelings of kissing and lips and tongues and hands and wanting and being wanted. “So maybe-” Kurt pauses again and Blaine wishes he wouldn’t. “Instead, you can try-” Kurt stops mid-sentence, takes an audible breath, and gracefully pops open the top bottom of his purple button-down shirt. Then the second button. Then the third. Kurt looks at Blaine. It’s an invitation.

“You want me to?” Blaine’s hands shake as they move to Kurt’s fourth button.

“If you want to-” Kurt lets the words linger, coy again.  As if he could say no.

No wonder he has his pick of the boys.

...

“Favorite musical that you haven’t seen live?” Blaine asks as he relaxes on to his side. They’re lying on Kurt’s bed, shirtless and face to face. The heat of the moment paused or passed, Blaine isn’t sure which.

“I’m from Lima, Ohio. That’s like every musical ever.” A reasonable answer.

“Except Rent with Greg Evigan.” Blaine taps Kurt’s bare arm with his index finger.

“It was a pretty good production, actually.”

“You know it was the first time I saw two guys kiss live?” Blaine remembers the moment between Angel and Collins, so daring at the time. 

“The other times were pre-recorded?”

“No dummy,” Blaine leans over and kisses that spot on Kurt’s neck. Kurt doesn’t squirm. Progress. “Only on TV or whatever. And not that often.”

“We might’ve met.” Kurt inches his body closer again.

“We might’ve.” The kissing now is soft and lazy. It’s midnight and their eyes are heavy. Kurt’s finger  traces circles on Blaine’s chest lightly. If it’s meant to be relaxing, it’s not. Blaine shudders, his body waking up, interested again. Damn all those teenage hormones locked up for so long.

“Okay - so Hamilton!” Blaine turns on to his back, away from temptation.

“Hamilton?” Kurt side eyes him.

“It’s my favorite musical that I haven’t seen.”

“Oh I see we’re back there again,” Kurt smirks. He knows the effect he’s having. He knows. “Well, can you rap ’Guns n’ Ships’?”

Blaine blushes more brightly than when he dropped his shirt on the ground half an hour ago. “You don’t want to know the answer to that question.”

“Oh I think I do.”

Blaine bites back his laugh and looks up at the ceiling. He asked for it. “I’m [takin](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.definitions.net%2Fdefinition%2Ftakin&t=ZDU5ZjQ5Y2I4ODE3NGM0OTIzMTgyYjhiMTgxZjIyZmQ2NGE4ZmNmMiwyOTFzUVc4Qg%3D%3D&b=t%3AoqvWnwLqTS7hfFqvQCjo4Q&p=http%3A%2F%2Fgleekto.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F180894521010&m=1)this horse by the reins makin’ Redcoats redder with bloodstains-” He may not be as fast as Daveed Diggs but he’s not bad for a dorky college freshman.

 “Lafayette.” Kurt deadpans.  

“And I’m [never](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.definitions.net%2Fdefinition%2Fnever&t=ZjVlNjdkYjA2MDBiY2I3MTc3MzJlMzFiNWI0MDJiNzg5ODIzYWZjMCwyOTFzUVc4Qg%3D%3D&b=t%3AoqvWnwLqTS7hfFqvQCjo4Q&p=http%3A%2F%2Fgleekto.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F180894521010&m=1) gonna stop [until](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.definitions.net%2Fdefinition%2Funtil&t=OWRjMmE1YjYzY2M3OWUzZmZjMWExMDliMWM2Y2M1YzYyYjliNTM1YiwyOTFzUVc4Qg%3D%3D&b=t%3AoqvWnwLqTS7hfFqvQCjo4Q&p=http%3A%2F%2Fgleekto.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F180894521010&m=1) I make ‘em Drop and burn ‘em up and [scatter](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.definitions.net%2Fdefinition%2Fscatter&t=MjE2MDJjMTk4MzExMGVmMGE0ZDEzZmRlZTk0NGQyOTI2YWViMWZjOCwyOTFzUVc4Qg%3D%3D&b=t%3AoqvWnwLqTS7hfFqvQCjo4Q&p=http%3A%2F%2Fgleekto.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F180894521010&m=1) their remains, I’m -”

“Oh my god.” Kurt is totally amused. “Lafayette,” on cue.  

“Watch me engagin’ em, escapin’ em Enragin’ em-” Blaine stops and turns to Kurt. He’s the one smirking this time.

“Oh I’ll watch you alright.” Who knew that war time rap was an aphrodisiac but he’s pretty sure Kurt just turned up the heat, climbing on top of him, chest to chest, legs intertwined, jeans still plastered to each of them. Kurt kisses him  - it’s messy and playful and eager, and Blaine feels bold - reaching around to touch the ass that has been tempting him literally all night. 

“Oh my god, I love your-” Blaine stops himself before he exposes himself as the pervert he apparently is.

“My ass?” Kurt puts his hands flat on Blaine’s chest,props himself up in cobra position, and gives a little wiggle for effect. A wiggle he’s sure Kurt now realizes makes both their jeans very uncomfortable.

“Oh my god.“ Blaine shakes his head but his eyes say yes. “Just so you know, I’m not only in this for your body.” He’s not sure what he said but Kurt is suddenly kissing him fiercely and moving against him and definitely turning the heat back on. “Though it’s an added bonus.” And that’s it because Kurt is all over him, flipping them so Blaine can lie on top of Kurt and kiss him everywhere.

“Okay these jeans are uncomfortable. I give in.” Kurt stops him and pushes him off playfully. 

“Does that mean - ” There are two possibilities. Blaine eyes the pile of gradually accumulating layers on Kurt’s dorm room floor - two button down shirts, Blaine’s bowtie, Blaine’s white cotton undershirt, even Kurt’s neck scarf has fallen off the chair from earlier. It’s either time to clean up the mess or to add another layer to it. 

Blaine hopes Kurt can’t hear his breath hitch as Kurt stands up, leaving him alone on the bed with goosebumps and an open question on his face. 

Kurt looks at him and bites his lip as he turns around, his ass right there, and pops the button on his jeans. 

...

 

Kurt wakes with a start at 4:31am. He fell asleep. They fell asleep. And now he’s squished up against his wall, Blaine lightly breathing beside him. He looks under the sheet strewn across him, and yup - he’s naked. And so is Blaine. He’s a bit sweaty and sort of sticky but he’s not that bad - oh yeah that’s because Blaine -  Yup. Okay. He’s got to get up and pee. He crawls out of bed and grabs a fresh pair of boxers and a white t-shirt. He looks over at Blaine, still sleeping. Whatever this is, whatever this was, this scene is far too domestic for just met the guy 8 hours ago. And he is not ready to play house just yet.

There was something inherently hot about being wanted for his body. 

Blaine had watched him strip down to his underwear, and heard him shudder. Kurt felt powerful. And he had managed to convince Blaine that his own jeans would also be a lot less uncomfortable if they were piled on the floor on top of his too. Blaine didn’t hesitate. Of course he wouldn’t. That is the goal of a Saturday night hook up, right?

Blaine was generous last night. That’s the only way to describe it. Once they lay down in only underwear leaving nothing to either of their imaginations, Blaine was simply all over him. Kissing down his body, hands exploring with just enough pressure for the touch to be intentional. Hands on his ass, squeezing, massaging. “Does that feel good? I want you to feel good,” Blaine whispered in his ear as they pressed the fronts of their bodies together. Blaine’s desire was obvious, easy, confident. Kurt felt amazing. And overwhelmed.

“Can I?” Kurt had been the one to slip his hand beneath the elastic of Blaine’s underwear first, if only to prove to Blaine that he was in this too. That he wanted to be there. Kissing shamelessly down Blaine’s body might not be as easy for him, but he knew what the goal was, and he could at least offer that. “Is this how you like it?” Words carefully chosen to cover for his inexperience but to be able to make sure he’s doing it right. Or right for Blaine. He wrapped his hand around him, pressure where he would like it. Blaine had moaned and grunted and hadn’t lasted long so he figured he was doing something right. 

“I’m going to clean us up and then it’s your turn.” Blaine stood up, naked and bold, grabbing some tissue from his desk before curling back in beside him. “It’s cold.”

“Well, you’re naked,” Kurt smirked at him as Blaine gently cleaned himself up and handed the tissue to Kurt for his hands. 

“And you should be.” Blaine pulled at his underwear and Kurt closed his eyes, let himself be objectified. “Your body is amazing,” Blaine said into his neck as his hands explored way too gently to expect that this would end any time soon. 

“Blaine, ummm - “ Kurt scrunched his eyes shut, the teasing touch frustrating and hot.

“It’s not enough, right?” Kurt opened one eye and Blaine was biting his lip, contemplating. “I want to. Tell me if you don’t want me to-” and Blaine suddenly bent down, mouth and tongue on him, and it felt so good he made a sound that he’d only ever heard in those movies he can’t stand.  And who on earth would ever turn down the world’s best blowjob? Apparently not him. Blaine didn’t stop. Kurt couldn’t believe it and Blaine looked so pleased with himself when it was over. Cocky bastard. But Kurt felt a bit proud too.

Kurt walks quietly back down his dorm hallway from the washroom so as not to disturb not only Blaine, but Rachel next door. The last thing he needs right now is a nosy neighbour.  

He can hear his dad’s voice at the back of his head with his warning that once he starts with this stuff, he won’t want to stop (he didn’t), that he should make it count to connect with another person. He felt connected. He knows that going for naked the same night as he met the guy probably isn’t what his dad had in mind but this was connected. He thinks. Even if temporary, he felt something. Feels something. Which maybe he shouldn’t.  Blaine rapped Hamilton while they were in bed. Before anyone took their pants off. If that doesn’t say genuine connection, he’s not sure what does. Even if it was just for tonight. 

He twists the door knob as quietly as possible, not wanting to be inconsiderate, and not knowing what to say if Blaine wakes up. But Blaine isn’t there. Instead there’s a note on the indented head of the pillow where Blaine used to be.

_Didn’t mean to fall asleep and take over your bed. Giving it back to you now so you can actually sleep for the rest of the night. I had a great time, Kurt. Glad that gym bunny didn’t know what a countertenor was.  -Blaine_

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Blaine had woken at 4:33am in an unfamiliar bed, loose navy blue sheet wrapped around his apparently naked body, but nobody beside him. They had fallen asleep, together, he’s pretty sure, after what was definitely the best sex he’s ever had. Well, the only sex he’s ever had .But it was amazing. Kurt was amazing. And lying in Kurt’s bed post-sex, cuddled up and naked, musing about differences between small town Ohio and New York City, has to have been one of the highlights of the night. “New year’s eve cow tipping versus ball dropping,” Kurt had deadpanned under sleepy eye lids. 

“Come on. Ohio’s not that bad. We don’t tip cows.”

“No. That’s just what I call football. Throwing cow hide, tipping cow hide. No difference really.”

“Isn’t it pigskin?”

“Okay. Tipping pigs then.”

Scratch that - it maybe one of the highlights of his short life so far. Well that and the sex. That might have something to do with it. 

But now it’s 4:33am and he’s alone in the bed. Of course Kurt probably couldn’t sleep pressed against a wall in the tiny dorm room bed. Was he taking up the whole bed? Kurt must be irritated. And they never agreed to a sleepover, they had just fallen asleep. And though he hopes Kurt had a good time, and knows he had a good time, and wishes it could maybe even happen again, he knows the implicit hook up code of conduct. And sleepovers aren’t in it. If Kurt comes back in, things could get really weird. He’s still naked.

So Blaine wrote him a note. Hopefully striking the right balance between “I’m so glad this happened”, and “I’m not going to stalk you.” He loved talking to Kurt, and comparing Ohio war stories, and kissing him. And sex was frankly beyond his wildest dreams. And it actually ended up being beyond his wildest dreams. But it was his first time and there is no way he’ll be caught breaking the rules of engagement. He just wanted to say thank you for inviting him up because he’s pretty sure he wouldn’t have had the courage to ask.

Blaine sneaks quietly back into his own room so as not to wake Sam, his roommate. He almost makes it to shut-eye position but Sam opens one eye when he hears him pulling down his covers. Damn he shouldn’t have made his bed.

“You’re home late?” Sam glances at the alarm clock on his desk. “Err I mean early?” 

“Yeah. Late night,” Blaine answers, crawling into bed.

“Why didn’t you just stay over?”

“Stay over where?” How would Sam know what had happened?

“Wherever the guy you were with took you?” Now Sam looks confused.

Despite his slight embarrassment at being interrogated at 4:30 in the morning by an almost stranger, Blaine is secretly grateful for Sam’s non-chalance about all this stuff. Even if he wasn’t exactly ready to report the incident.

“Oh! Yeah, of course. But I mean, it was just a hook up,” Blaine tries to mirror Sam’s non-chalance. “You know the rules.”

“What rules?” Sam mumbles from under his quilt. Blaine tries to give Sam his best dismissive eye roll he can while simultaneously panicking quietly. Doesn’t everybody know the rules?  “Okay whatever, buddy. Gay guys are weird. If you don’t like the guy, just say goodbye in the morning. But you do you.”

_But what if I do like the guy?_  

Now is not the time to explain to Sam that he was respecting Kurt’s boundaries, not asserting his own. He may be ready and willing to do it all again tomorrow night, but he also knows that’s not what Kurt signed up for when he asked him up. He’s not going to be that desperate freshman intent on marrying the first guy he meets. Sometimes you just need to let a ship sail. He’ll see Kurt on Monday in class, and he’ll smile at him. 

They’ll be cool. It’s cool. No big deal. Their Saturday evening hook up incident a thing of the past. 

...

“Is this a joke?” Rachel throws down the note on Kurt’s desk, indignant on Kurt’s behalf. Not that Kurt asked her. “You’re telling me you had a beautiful romantic night with a cute  - nay adorable - NYADA guy? Your very first romantic evening and  _stuff_  happened?” Rachel pauses looking for more details. She’s not getting them.

“Yes, Rachel. Stuff.”

“Well anyways, stuff happened after  _you_ , kindly and graciously, invited him to your room,” Rachel pauses. “And all he left you was this note?” 

It really stings when she says it that way. He huffs and then picks up the note from where it had flown on to his desk and reads it again.

_Didn’t mean to fall asleep and take over your bed. Giving it back to you now so you can actually sleep for the rest of the night. I had a great time, Kurt. Glad that gym bunny didn’t know what a countertenor was.  -Blaine_

“The note is kind of sweet, actually.” Kurt says partly to himself, partly to Rachel. He knows he’s looking for validation but the note  _is_ cute -  _Hey Kurt, I’m glad you chose me._  Kurt may be inexperienced but that is definitely not a signal that Blaine thinks it was all a mistake.

Kurt sighs and flops down on his bed still wondering what on earth happened at 4:30am to scare Blaine away. “I just don’t understand why he left so abruptly. It’s not like I had proposed marriage. Or even suggested that we do it again.” In fact, it was Blaine who was effusive during all that _stuff_. “You look amazing”, “I love your body”, “I want to make you feel good”. Blaine had said that to Kurt mid-blowjob, Kurt already floating somewhere between cloud nine and heaven and unable to even get out any words other than a very embarrassing sound that he’s trying not to remember in front of Rachel. He remembers looking down at Blaine  _down there_  on his knees- slightly overwhelmed by the pornographic yet intimate image in front of him, and thinking that Blaine is truly a generous kind of lover because he had apparently gotten hard again. Just from going down on Kurt. That or Blaine is completely insatiable.  _Oh_. Oh no.

“Maybe he has a very strict vocal training regimen that requires waking at 4am, drinking warm tea with meyer lemon, a throat steam, and running scales, all before 6am.” Rachel is way too excited. 

“He’s not you.” Thank god.

“I know, I know. Okay so why did he leave then?” Rachel is both supportive and annoying in her genuine wonderment. 

“That is the question, Rachel.” Kurt shakes his head wondering himself why he thought telling Rachel about his Saturday night tryst was a good idea. Especially because the reason is suddenly obvious. 

It wasn’t because he hadn’t wanted to. Well, not really, anyways. There had already been a lot of firsts last night - a lot - and he wasn’t ready. And Blaine had seemed so ready to just hang out and cuddle post- _relations_ \- That was way more Kurt’s speed than trying to perform oral sex at least as well as his more experienced, very eager counterpart after the night they had just had. And Blaine didn’t bat an eye. He had pulled up the sheet around them both and lay down on Kurt’s chest. But obviously that’s what he had wanted. 

God. Guys are all the same. 

Kurt’s theory - that he was certain was correct - gets entirely derailed on Monday morning in music history class when Blaine smiles at him. Widely and warmly. 

Nobody harbouring a grudge about a failed one night stand smiles like that.

He had arrived deliberately early to class on Monday, taking a seat at the very front of the room so he wouldn’t have to deal with looking at Blaine. Or rather, so he wouldn’t have to deal with watching Blaine ignore him after his sudden disappearance on Saturday night. It worked. The front of the class quickly filled up with no Blaine in sight and Professor Goldstein came in ready with a riveting lecture on the popular music of medieval times. When would they get to broadway?

He managed the whole lecture eyeing only girl-with-runny-nose on one side of him and boy-sleeping-under-baseball-cap on the other. Enduring the girl’s sneezes and re-useable red hanky may even have been worth it if he could have just snuck out without a run-in - 

He can’t. He’s looking down, clutching the strap of his leather bag over his shoulder, trying to make a run for it when he gets stuck in the bottleneck of students exiting - and ends up right beside a bright and sunny Blaine Anderson.

“Hi Kurt,” Blaine smiles at him casually. But genuinely. As if they were old friends. Buddies with no baggage. As if they were classmates who hadn’t slept together on Saturday night. And most of all, as if Blaine wasn’t someone who had abandoned their encounter in the literal middle of the night. All because Kurt hadn’t given him a blowjob. Kurt turns to Blaine’s voice, surprised and angry, only to be met with warm eyes and a sincere smile. The only thing he can think to do, caught off guard and righteous, is nod curtly and exit stage left as quickly as possible. How could Blaine be so casually warm? Or was Blaine making an effort in apology? Whatever.

He’s still seething when he meets Rachel for lunch. “What’s up with you?” Rachel sees his flat face.  “Did someone kidnap the I-Can’t-Believe-We’re-In-NYC Kurt of last week and replace him with the Grinch?” Rachel slides into the table across from him, handing him a tray full of some delightful looking chicken stuffed with creamy ham concoction that makes him want to become a vegetarian. “Turn that frown upside down - you don’t want to get frown lines.” God, she can be so annoying.

“I saw Blaine,” Kurt answers in explanation.

“Ahhh I see. And he ignored you, I assume?” Rachel squirts the ketchup on to her fries non-chalantly.  “I may not have been in this situation myself, but I have seen enough coming of age shows to know that when you have a one night stand-”

“No Rachel,” He interrupts her. Blessedly. “He didn’t ignore me.”

“Ohhhh,” Rachel nods again. “So he let you down easy. Said it was best that you were just friends?” She bites a bit of a french fry.

“I think you watch too much television.” Though this was perhaps the scenario Kurt was worried about. They were never friends. They had just met. But they definitely felt like friends on Saturday night. And more. But Kurt guesses that was perhaps the naked sex talking and not reality. And he of course had not suggested anything at all that would have made Blaine think there were any strings attached. But god, if Blaine had said that to him, it would have crushed him.  “No, Rachel. Nothing like that happened. He just smiled at me.  _Warmly”_ Kurt emphasizes _. “_ Oh and he said hi.” Total asshole, really.

“Oh my god, Kurt!” Rachel practically squeals as she claps her hands. “That is definitely not blowing you off. He went up to you and smiled and said hello?”

“Yes, Rachel. That’s what I said. This is hardly the plot of a great romance novel.”

“But it’s hope, Kurt! He obviously didn’t mean to just ditch you.” Kurt’s gotta hand it to her - she’s gone from he obviously ignored you right to matchmaker in the span of 5 minutes. But he’s not even sure what he’s supposed to be hopeful for - that Blaine enjoyed their night? That he wants to be friends? Or wants another hook up? Rachel appears to have jumped through all the obvious hoops and is instead plotting his way to the altar. “So what happened next?” 

Kurt stabs his fork into his creamy chicken. “I may have glared at him and walked away.”

Definitely not the plot of a great romance novel.

...

“Shit,” Blaine says as his notes fall on the floor of his dorm room, raising his hands helplessly. He knows he’s being slightly melodramatic but can’t he just sit and write and not deal with loose notes and extra mess? He had asked Tina to put his notes back carefully.

“Okay, that’s it,” says Sam, picking up the four stray papers and handing them back to Blaine. “What is going on with you?”

“Well, I just dropped my music composition notes all over the floor, for one,” Blaine huffs. 

“Yeah. Four pages to pick up. And you swore.” Blaine rolls his eyes. “Now if you had a badass rapper-type brand, you might have fooled me,” Sam continues. “But last week you spilled your entire medium drip all over your pricey music history textbook and you were sopping that up in no time with only a mildly irritated ‘darn!’ So what’s with the language, Blaine?”

“Maybe I’m trying to curate my rapper-brand?” Maybe then Kurt would give him the time of the day. He sure seemed to pay attention when Blaine rapped for him on Saturday night. But clearly he wasn’t impressive enough to deserve the time of day on Monday morning. 

“Try again,” Sam dismisses. “You’ve been moping around since Monday. You even skipped sing-a-long sound of music in the common room last night. Something’s up. Are you failing a class? Missing home?”

“Ha!” Blaine scoffs. “No, not missing Ohio, thank you. It’s not exactly a great scene for young, gay artsy types. I’ll take New York any day.” Hell he had gone from never been kissed to whatever-sex-no-biggie in his second week of school. With a hot, smart guy, no less. The irony isn’t lost on him that Kurt is from Ohio.

“You do you, man. But I’m only here for the country music major. Then it’s back home to Tennessee for this artsy dude.”

“I imagine there are at least a few straight girls in Tennessee, though. Should you ever want, you know, to date or something crazy like that.”

“Oh. Ohhhh. This is what it’s about. That guy on Saturday.” Sam nods to himself. “You do like him.” 

“What? No. What are you even talking about?” In the few weeks that Blaine has known Sam, he’s been full of surprises. Seemingly a blonde, country bumpkin straight boy (he is all those things), but unexpectedly perceptive. And gay positive. Which does help him not feel like a complete tool for the feelings he now has plastered on his face. He wasn’t expecting the intervention and now he’s doomed to truth. Sam just raises his eyebrows and Blaine’s confessing. “Okay fine. It is about Kurt. But not because of the hook up. Because he completely blew me off on Monday in music history class.”

“Harsh,” Sam appears to be thinking. “Did you like ask him out or something?”

“What? No! No. I wouldn’t do that. I just said hi. But he glared and ran out of the room.”

“Really?” Blaine won’t admit out loud that Sam’s disbelief somewhat aids his bruised ego. “I mean, I’m no expert on dudes, bro, but you seem to be a pretty smart, pretty good looking guy. And if there was no pressure-” 

“Exactly!” Blaine agrees. He’s contemplating whether to tell Sam what he thinks the reason actually is - why Kurt obviously does not want anything to do with him after Saturday night. He’d been going over and over their interactions in his head, and there was only one thing he could come up with.  “But I’m guessing I know why I’ve been dismissed.” Sam waits and Blaine takes a deep breath. “Sparing you the gory details, I tried something for the first time and I guess I wasn’t good at it because I don’t think he liked it.” Sam looks slightly confused. “So why should he do that again, right?”

Sam’s eyes go wide in recognition. Blaine definitely was not going to go into the details of his apparently lacking blowjob technique. It seemed like it worked at the time but he really has no idea whether he’s gifted with natural skill in  _that_ department. And obviously he isn’t because once was enough for Kurt.

“Is that what Kurt told you?”

“No. Of course not. That would have been rude.”

“Or you know - during things - were things - “

Blaine waves his hands to stop him “No. no. They were good. It was good. At least I thought it was good. And like it wasn’t just about that - like he’s from Ohio. We had a lot in common. He was very funny. We even sang ‘Hamilton’ together.” 

Sam looks confused. “Who?” 

“Never mind. It was a great night. And I wouldn’t have guessed he’d be so focused my,” Blaine blushes, “Skills. But you know how guys are.”

“Yeah, I do know,” Sam says. “And this sounds-,” Sam pauses, “Dumb. I don’t believe it.”

“What?”

“If you liked the guy, which you obviously did, why did you leave to come back in the middle of the night anyways? I told you that was weird.”

Right. Blaine had left Kurt in the middle of the night. With a note. Is that like breaking up over text? 

Shit.

...

Kurt nails the high F at the climax of Defying Gravity. He pauses and waits for hopefully encouraging sounding ‘ _Thank you_ ’s and ‘ _We’ll post the list tomorrow_ ’s before taking his exit.

“You’re in,” Adam says matter-of-factly, the other two Apples’ members beside him nodding in agreement. 

“I’m in?” It can’t be that simple. “Don’t you want to - I don’t know - hear all the others first before -”

“Nope.” Adam waves him off. “We don’t get a lot of countertenors around here and your audition was perfect. So that’s it.”

“That’s it?” Kurt says again in disbelief.

“Well, my friends and I are going to karaoke night at Callbacks  on Saturday if you want to join us?” Adam winks at him. Is he flirting? That would be totally inappropriate. But kind of nice? Maybe. “But for the Adam’s Apples - yup, that’s it. Congratulations, Kurt. We’ll see you at rehearsal.”

Kurt thanks them very much and grabs his bag as the next glee club candidate makes her way in.  He can’t wait to tell Rachel about his easy victory as he practically twirls out of the audition room swinging the door open -  right into the next person in the audition line. Oops.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Kurt looks up to see Blaine’s face go from surprise to stricken. “Blaine. Oh my god.” Of all people to literally run right into. The irony is that he was actually hoping that he would run into Blaine again so he could have a re-do of Monday. He had it all planned - a casual ‘hello’ in the hallway. A smile matching the one Blaine gave him in class. Rachel, for all her unsolicited advice, did help him realize that he may have been slightly too harsh. He was hoping to call take-backs and start again. He looks up at the ceiling and shakes his head - no, universe, he did not mean a literal run in. 

“Hi Kurt,” Blaine says tentatively. Here he goes - take back.

“Blaine - Hi,” Kurt says as brightly as he can amidst the flurry of the banging door and almost knocking Blaine down. He smiles and looks him in the eyes. Genuinely. And Blaine smiles back. Okay. Progress. “You’re auditioning?” No, he’s just waiting in line outside the audition room door for funsies. Brilliant. “I mean, I know you’re auditioning-”

“Yeah. I know we were supposed to meet-”

“Oh yeah, we talked about-”

“But don’t worry about-”

“I mean I wasn’t sure if-”  They talk over each other, the conversation gaining enough momentum to become an awkward trainwreck very quickly. It’s like watching the crash in slow motion. Kurt stops. He can hear the girl inside singing ‘ _On My Own_ ’ slightly off key in the lull. Amateur choice. “Anyways, you’re next! What are you singing?”

“How was your audition?” Blaine is as eager to talk as he is. Okay. Another win. 

“Flawless,” Kurt says, trying to lighten the tension. “I got in.”

“Of course.” Blaine nods and Kurt blushes but they don’t lose eye contact. There’s a beat between them and Kurt lets it simmer. Until the door swings open and bangs right into Kurt. “I am so sorry,” says the audition girl. 

“They have got to get that door hinge tightened,” Blaine whispers in his ear. Okay. It’s fine. “Oh - and if you want to know what I’m singing, stick around and listen.”  Slightly cocky. It’s hot. Dammit.

Kurt sticks around long enough to be five minutes late for his voice class, which is long enough to hear Blaine Anderson kill ‘Something’s Coming’.  Kurt lies in bed that night daydreaming a fantasy cast for a gender-flexible version of West Side Story with Blaine as Tony.  And he’s Mario, of course. “Of course,” Blaine says in his head.

When Kurt passes by the list for Adam’s Apples the next day, they’re both on it. 

‘Something’s Coming. Something good’, Kurt hums to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

“Don’t look over there, Rachel!” Kurt pulls on Rachel’s arm, turning her body towards the questionable looking spaghetti and meatballs pasta counter and away from the tables of fellow students grabbing lunch in NYADA’s main cafeteria.

“What? Oh my god, is it Patti Lupone? Is she here?” Rachel hides her eyes but surveys the room. “I’m not ready, Kurt!”

“No, Rachel. God. You take the fun out of everything. It’s Blaine, Rachel. He’s over at 11 o’clock.” Her eyes light up as she turns to look before he grabs her again. “Don’t look!”

“Are you kidding me, Kurt? I have been having to imagine who this guy that has stolen your heart is for almost a full week and I don’t even know what he looks like. And he doesn’t know who I am, anyways.” She turns again to scan the tables before Kurt literally blocks her view, standing in front of her, looking straight forward.

“But he knows who I am!” Kurt hisses slightly too loudly. “And he hasn’t stolen my heart. What are you even talking about? We just hooked up. That’s it. End of story. Can we focus on getting lunch, please?”

“Hey Kurt.” Kurt turns around to Blaine sauntering up to them, cool as a cucumber. Fine then.

“Oh hey Blaine! I didn’t know you were here or I mean, obviously I didn’t know but-”

“Hi Blaine!” Rachel blessedly interrupts. “I’m Rachel, Kurt’s best friend and future roommate.”

“Yeah,” Blaine smiles at her and nods knowingly at Kurt. “I might have figured. Kurt mentioned you the other night.”

“Oh really?” Rachel turns on her biggest poker face. “You guys know each other?” It’s a little too on the nose to be smooth.

“Oh yeah,” Blaine doesn’t miss a beat. “We met at the Queer NYADA mixer on Saturday. It was fun, actually.” Blaine says to Rachel but looks at Kurt. Damn it.

“And here I thought you were going to ask me out-”

“Okay, Rachel. That’s enough,” Kurt moves her along the line to the salad bar.

“Would asking you and Kurt to join us for lunch over there make up for it?” Blaine starts off to the table in the corner where there are a few NYADA freshmen sitting and Rachel follows, turning to give Kurt a less than subtle wink while mouthing ‘He’s cute’. Kurt rolls his eyes.

“Behave yourself, Rachel,” Kurt whispers before sitting down across from Blaine.

Lunch turns out to be just what the doctor ordered. And not the greasy meatballs and too much pasta part. Blaine introduced them to his friend, Tina, who is also in the Adam’s Apples, and the four of them lament the lack of healthier cafeteria options, discuss which seniors are vying for winter showcase spots, and which freshmen routinely stink up the residence hallways with well hidden joints. 

“Terrible for my voice,” Rachel makes a face in disgust. “I could never.”

“I hear that junior, Brody, that you have your eye on is one of that gang,” Kurt warns.

“Shut up - I do not have my eye on him, Kurt! I just ummm saw him-”

“In his birthday suit?” Blaine finishes.

“Yes but it wasn’t on purpose! Even if it wasn’t a completely unpleasant experience.” Rachel smirks.

“Nothing like freshman residence living for unexpected naked experiences,” Tina says as she rolls up spaghetti on her fork. “I can’t even imagine what was going on in my hallway last Saturday night. I mean you could hear-”

Kurt chokes as he swallows his water. “Excuse me,” Kurt coughs and looks desperately around for a hook. “You know, it is a travesty that they don’t have garlic bread to go with this spaghetti.” Kurt says the first thing that comes to mind as he stabs his fork into his meatball. Hard.

“Complete negligence.”  Blaine agrees emphatically. “In fact, I think I’m going to go leave a suggestion in the cafeteria comment box. Would really improve the meal.” Blaine gets up, quickly nodding at Kurt with an apologetic look before he leaves.

Kurt sighs. Well, it appears that they’ve made it to casual friends. Yay? With references to naked fun an alarm bell requiring immediate evacuation. Slightly awkward but Kurt imagines he has survived his first hook up and lived to tell the tale.

“Are you coming to Apples rehearsal, Kurt?” Blaine startles him again, breath on his ear as he makes his way to the window to deposit his tray.  

“Of course,” Kurt nods, dropping his cutlery into the wash bin, willing his goosebumps not to be obvious.

“Shall we?” Blaine motions for them to exit the cafeteria together.

Nope. He has not survived. Definitely still in critical condition.

 

...

“Give me orange. I want orange!” Adam pronounces emphatically to the Apples preparing for their fall performance. Adam rearranges the singers on the stage yet again as they prepare their rendition of ‘For the Longest Time’.

“Orange?” Blaine whispers to Kurt, rolling his eyes.

“Adam, do you mean you want us to  _wear_  orange?” Kurt interrupts. “Or like - ” 

“Great question, Kurt. And yes - wear oranges and yellows and be bright like an orange sun rise!” Adam bounces on his toes, smiling widely. Gosh he is an enthusiastic one.

Blaine rolls his eyes again but laughs. “You are definitely his favourite, Kurt.” 

They’re now three weeks into their Adam’s Apples rehearsals, and Blaine’s mid-season assessment is that this doo-wop-ing group is definitely not the synchronized elegance of the Warblers. The good news is that he is still singing lead on two of their four performances songs (with substantial supporting solos in the others, thankfully). Also on the good news list is that one of the sophomore Apples, a cute, bespectacled theatre major, Andy, seems to be flirting with him, and that he and Kurt have made it past any post-hook up awkwardness and seem to be settling into normal friendship. The bad news is that he and Kurt have made it past any post-hook up awkwardness and seem to be settling into normal friendship, and that Adam, the guy who runs this whole gig, is definitely and seriously into Kurt.

He knows he shouldn’t be jealous, certainly doesn’t have a right to be jealous, and in fact, he even has Andy showering him with effusive compliments in less than subtle flirtation. So really, he has nothing to complain about.

“Blaine, you killed that number!” Andy grabs on to his shoulder as they wrap up the rehearsal. 

“Thanks Andy,” Blaine nods politely, scanning the room for Kurt. They have music history next and they should walk together.

“You’re gonna look hot in orange,” Andy winks and keeps going as Kurt approaches and raises his eyebrows, obviously overhearing.

“Thanks?” Blaine looks desperately between the two of them.

“Hot like the sun Adam wants us to be!” Kurt adds with a hint of sarcasm as Andy scoots away. “And you are clearly  _his_  favourite.” Kurt echoes.

“I guess,” Blaine blushes and shakes his head. “But he’s not the big boss.”

“Yeah and everybody  _loves_  the teacher’s pet,” Kurt says sarcastically in his self deprecating way.

“That’s not what I meant,” Blaine says. “I mean, it’s cool, right? Cute older guy and he’s clearly into you. Not that it’s surprising, or anything,” Blaine says under his breath. Blaine is trying to be a supportive friend and trying not to be that guy chasing after the one who got away. Chasing is definitely not sexy.

It’s quiet for a minute as they’re walking to class and Blaine doesn’t know what else to say until Kurt playfully bumps into his side. “Well, it’s cool for you too, then. Right? Andy seems nice, and cute. If a little eager. Nice glasses.”

“They _are_  nice glasses,” Blaine agrees and bumps back. He takes a deep breath and asks the dreaded question but he might as well rip the band off, “So are you and Adam like - you know, are you going to-”

“Go out with him?” Kurt finishes quickly. “Oh I don’t know. I don’t know. It depends. And you? With Andy, I mean?”

“Oh yeah, I don’t know either. It depends. Exactly.” Blaine repeats. 

It depends.

...

It was fraternity pledge night in his residence common room - which was reason enough for Kurt to agree to head over to karaoke night at Callbacks with the Adams Apples. And Rachel, of course. She was still muttering about thinking NYADA would be above fraternities and all that nonsense when he told her that she was welcome to join him. And Adam. And Blaine. And Andy. And all the rest of the Adam’s Apples. Frankly, he thinks he may be in need of a wing woman.

“Kurt, this could be a very exciting night for you!” Rachel links to his arm as they walk into Callbacks. “Two hot and eligible NYADA men fighting for your affections. One older, more mature, bold in his advances, the other more youthful, and plagued with miscommunications - with a boyishness he tries to hide by dressing like a well-styled grandpa,” Rachel sighs happily to herself and looks up as if seeing a broadway show marquee rather than the neon sign for the club. “But there is something about his eagerness-”

“Okay Rachel. Stop,” Kurt turns and blocks her before she can enter. “This is not a new screenplay, and two guys are most definitely not fighting over me.”

“Oh come on, Kurt-”

“No, you come on,” Kurt pings back. “I let you come tonight for friendship and support. So let’s get a few things straight. Adam has shown some interest - but that’s all it is. Interest. Blaine is a friend. End of story. We may have had an encounter a month ago, but that is long in the past. And most of all, Blaine’s bow ties are fashion iconoclasm, and that is always to be respected. Got it?”

“Whatever you say, Kurt,” Rachel nods, completely unconvinced. But it will have to do.

When they enter, there is a critical mass of Apples sitting around a few tables and he and Rachel head over to the nearest available chairs. Which happen to be across from Blaine. So what? They’re friends.

Blaine is happy enough that they’ve arrived that he insists on buying them each a drink to start off the night - a sea breeze for Rachel and a gin and tonic for him. “Ahhh, a man after my own heart,” Blaine says as he raises his own gin and tonic in a toast. “Luckily, the NYADA bartenders often turn a blind eye to freshmen as long as we behave ourselves. And come on, we’re theatre kids.”

“We never get into any trouble,” Kurt says.

“Never.” But now they’re both blushing. 

“Blaine! Hey!” Andy pulls a chair up beside Blaine. “I’m so glad you came.” Blaine nods and moves over to bring him into their table. “What are you drinking?”

“This? Just a gin and tonic. I got one for Kurt too, and a sea breeze over there for Rachel.” Kurt notices that Blaine does not offer to buy Andy a drink. Interesting.

“Tastes like pink,” Rachel nods at Andy. “You should try one.”

“I just might.” Quick as he was there, Andy is gone, getting his drink, Blaine leaning in to talk to Kurt again. Rachel smirks and Kurt elbows her. Hard.  

Blaine tells him that he absolutely won’t let him off with just watching karaoke tonight so he’s going to have to convince Rachel to do a duet with him (probably not a difficult sell), and he’s encouraging Blaine to get out of his broadway comfort zone and maybe do a pop or rock number. “How did you know that I used to play air guitar to Bryan Adams?” It’s an image Kurt finds ridiculously endearing.

“You would be so cute in a little bow tie playing air guitar to bad 80′s pop,” Kurt muses. Out loud. Oops. Damn that gin and tonic must be strong. Blaine looks at him over the top of his glass.

“Kurt! I’m so glad you’re here.” Oh man. Adam pulls up a chair beside Kurt. “I couldn’t convince you to come with us that other week, but maybe you know now that I’m harmless?”

“Are you?” Kurt sort of flirts back. What? It’s fun. Blaine raises his eyebrows, still amused. But Kurt senses a hint of annoyance.

“Are you?” Blaine repeats unexpectedly. Maybe they both need to stop the gin and tonics. 

“Aww come on, Blaine,” Adam smiles a deliberately innocent smile. “Just because I’m not afraid to let my feelings show?” Has Adam been drinking? Man, they all need some filters. “ And I think we can all appreciate Kurt’s star talent.”

Rachel’s jaw drops and she claps her hands together, too pleased that her new screenplay appears to be a reality. “And that’s our cue, Rachel,” Kurt chimes in. “We’re up. Come on.  _For Good_. Me and you.”

Blaine chinks his glass to Adam’s. “We can.” Blaine agrees. But Kurt is already on stage, with Rachel ready at the mic, dedicating their duet to themselves. Par for the Rachel course.

One epic duet, and one more gin and tonic later, Kurt and Blaine are huddled over their table, dream casting revivals of all their favorite musicals - “You can see I’d make an excellent Guy-Linda.”

“Do you think I could pull off Danny Zuko?” Blaine muses.

“What?” Andy tries to join in over the noise. “You’re playing Danny? You’ll be great Blaine!” 

“No no,” Kurt waves him off. “We’re just dreaming. Though you would make a great Danny Zuko,” Blaine smiles at him. “If I’m Sandy, of course.”

“Of course,” Blaine nods. “It’s the queer version.”

“Of course it is.”

And then Blaine is next on the karaoke list. Kurt turns his chair towards the stage with his drink in hand, pleasantly tipsy and ready to watch Blaine, whom he has learned over the last month, is the consummate performer. Blaine whispers something to the DJ, takes off his bowtie, and undoes his top button. Man, he’s all in.

“Any dedications tonight, Blaine?” The DJ asks before hitting play. 

Blaine shrugs, “I guess it’s for anyone who has a penchant for bad 80′s pop.” Kurt’s eyebrows rise as Blaine cues his air guitar.

_You’re the silent type_  
And you caught my eye  
But I never thought that I’d be touchin’ you  


_..._

“Oh my god, this is about you, Kurt!” Rachel pronounces definitively and too loudly over the finishing electric guitar chords bringing Blaine’s number to an end. “One night love affair, trying to make like we don’t care!” Rachel sings loudly into his ear and slaps the table. “Kurt!”

Kurt had been sitting very still, listening in slightly tipsy amusement-turned-shock, to a very old, very cheesy, very not subtle Bryan Adams’ song, until Rachel’s loud voice snapped him out of it.  

“Be quiet, Rachel!” 

It’s apparently too late, though, because Adam is staring at her too. He nods and turns to Kurt. “So that’s why you’ve been gently dismissing all my attempts?” Adam says quietly in his ear.

“No. No. I mean - It’s not-”

“It’s okay, Kurt. I’ve been around the block. I just didn’t know there was something else going on or I wouldn’t have-”

“I didn’t either.” Kurt looks back directly at Adam, responding as honestly as he can. He really and truly had no idea there was anything going on. At all.

“Or rather, I didn’t know someone else had stolen your heart.” 

Kurt shakes his head and waves dismissively. “Blaine did not steal my heart. Absolutely -”

“Well, I think you stole his,” Adam emphasizes. “And don’t look now because he’s coming right to you.” Adam gets up making room for Blaine to sneak in beside Kurt. 

“Adam, I’m sorry. I just-” Kurt stares after him.

“Ah ah no. No apologies. I like Blaine. I like romance. The heart wants what it wants.” Adam blows a kiss into the air and seems to flutter away as Kurt puts down his glass, bewildered.

“What was that?” Blaine asks motioning at Adam’s dramatic farewell.

“I think I should be asking you the same question.” Kurt says and Blaine drops his head, seeming to shake it at himself. But he’s smiling.

“So did you like my performance?” Blaine asks him brightly. Is this fishing? Or flirting? Or - “I even got in the air guitar for you.”  _For you._ Kurt takes the final sip of his drink. Oh boy. He was not expecting this tonight - not expecting this ever. He was, in fact, enjoying wallowing in the reality of having ‘the one who got away’. But the one who got away doesn’t sing you a rock ballad about your night of passion more than a month after it was ‘just a hook up’. 

“But you weren’t wearing the bowtie. Shame.” Kurt knocks into his side. Blaine is holding the bowtie in his hand now and Kurt plucks it from him. “This black and red striped combo  _is_  very well coordinated with your red capris and black polo shirt,” Kurt muses.

“Put it back on me.” Blaine is looking at him,  a little bit drunk, a little bit of a daring twinkle, as he sets it around his neck.

“Okay.” Kurt blushes but he nods and tries to steady his trembling hands. “Sorry. I keep touching your neck. That must be ticklish.”

“I like how it feels,” Blaine says extending his neck further so Kurt can finish. He lets his fingers settle on the side of Blaine’s neck for a just moment too long after the bow tie is done. Blaine shivers.

“Why did you pick that song, Blaine?”

“You didn’t tell me - did you like my performance?” Blaine avoids the question.

“Yeah,” Kurt nods, sneaking a glance at Blaine before looking down. “I liked your performance.”

“You did?” Is Blaine trying to make an innuendo here?  _Performance_. Because he’s not sure he’s ready to tell him that it was, indeed, the world’s best blowjob that he hasn’t stopped thinking about for the whole month. It may have only lasted two minutes but as far as he was concerned, it was quality over quantity. Or rather, quality lessened the quantity. Hence the two minutes.

Might as well face the big pink elephant in the room, screw the innuendo. “It was about me - I mean us.” Kurt’s heart is racing but his voice is calm. Bless the slight drunken numbness making him sound braver than he is.

“I guess Bryan Adams isn’t a king of subtlety?” Blaine shrugs but there’s a hint of a laugh. He’s looking down, twirling the green plastic straw in the ice at the bottom of his drink. “You know, that song is not even in the top ten of Bryan Adams’ best songs - I could have done Summer of ‘69, Heaven-”

“So why’d you do it?” Kurt turns to look at him, Blaine’s eyes still focused on the swirling ice. 

Blaine stops, looks at Kurt, and shrugs his shoulders. “I took a risk.”

Kurt lets his hand shift over and tangle with Blaine’s. “It worked.”


	4. Chapter 4

Blaine is trying to keep his thoughts grounded as the alcohol swirls pleasantly through him and Kurt’s fingers lace even more pleasantly through his.  _It worked_ , Kurt says about his silly 80′s rock serenade. And now they’re holding hands but Blaine definitely does not want to jump the gun. Kurt may just want another hook up - two night love affair. Or friends with benefits - who knows what his previous love life looked like? Or Kurt may think that  _he_  just wants another hook up. Which he does, he definitely does. He stares at their hands, Kurt’s thumb moving slowly against his palm. Yes, he definitely does. But he knows that will inevitably result in more pining, and remembering, and fantasizing late at night when Sam is out at bluegrass jam. And most of that was not fun. Except maybe the late at night part. Plus that would risk their developing but tenuous friendship because it turns out they do have a lot in common. Neither Sam nor Tina is remotely interested in gender flipping all the great broadway shows. And friendship is obviously more important. This night of pink drinks and silly songs needs an injection of realism.

“Should we, you know-” Blaine starts.

“Get out of here?” Kurt finishes. God, yes. But no. He knows how easy this was for Kurt last time, notwithstanding his momentary harsh treatment the Monday after their night, they were back into friendly acquaintances in no time. Blaine may have been fantasizing about what was under all of Kurt’s amazing layers, but Kurt didn’t even stay to watch his audition. Gone before he came out.

“Yes and no,” Blaine answers over the music.

“Yes and no?”

“Yes, but not just like last time-” Blaine is trying.

“So you don’t want to?” A flash of hurt and confusion moves across Kurt’s face.  He takes his hand away. Damn.

“No, no. I mean yes. I do. Want to. A lot actually.”

“So?” Kurt looks at him, almost irritated. God this is not going well.

“I want to but I think we should talk first,” Blaine breathes out and Kurt’s face softens.

“Talk?”

“Yeah. Is that as cheesy as the Bryan Adam’s lyrics?” 

“Maybe,” Kurt shrugs. “But I think that’s probably a good idea,” Kurt leans into him and Blaine breathes a sigh of relief.

Blaine grabs his and Kurt’s coats and they nod goodbye to the Apples. “Heading home,” He tells Andy. “Need to be up early to study tomorrow.” White lie never hurt anybody. “Kurt too.”

“Byeeee Kurt. Byeeee Blaine,” Rachel coos at them with far too much enthusiasm as they button their coats. Andy looks at her strangely.

“I am so sorry for her,” He says to Blaine as they walk towards the door.

“Don’t apologize,” Blaine says sincerely. “I like her.” What he doesn’t say is that he likes her enthusiasm. For this. For him leaving the bar with Kurt. For whatever might happen next. He doesn’t mind the teasing if being with Kurt is what he’s being teased about. 

Blaine holds the door for Kurt as they exit. It’s the opposite of a walk of shame. Blaine is proud.

...

The wind hits Kurt’s face bringing him back down to reality. The effects of the alcohol are wearing off and the cool quiet of the night is waking him up to exactly what’s happening here.

“So-” Kurt starts. Here they are again, leaving an event on the early side. A little bit tipsy but not drunk. Walking and talking. This time, it’s clearer where they’re going at least. And maybe he’s slightly less green this time. But only slightly. As in exactly one night with Blaine less green. All those first time worries he hasn’t thought about since those fateful few days come rushing back. What if he wants to try…what Blaine did -  but Blaine realizes that he doesn’t know what he’s doing? It could be terrible. It would be terrible. He’s been thinking so much about their night together, oscillating between telling himself that he needs to stop and get over it and longing to kiss Blaine again - everywhere, that he forgot about the part that they barely talked about it at all. And now they’re actually friends. With mutual friends. Mistakes with higher stakes.

“Here we are.” Blaine chuckles.

“Again,” Kurt says drily.

“Again.” Blaine repeats. “And we never really talked about what happened last time.”

Kurt knocks into his side, amused. “Do you need a reminder?” God it is way easier to be coy than honest. Way easier than he ever thought it would be.  Blaine looks at him, happily scandalized. 

“I would love a reminder, actually,” He hears Blaine swallow. “But maybe later?” Not getting out of this conversation thing. Okay. “We didn’t talk about it,” Blaine ploughs through. “Like, at all.”

Kurt takes a deep breath. “Well you did leave in the middle of the night with only a note,” Kurt tries to hide his residual bitterness. “A guy can take a hint, you know?”

“I was leaving  _for_ you.” Kurt looks at him dismissively. “Seriously - we hadn’t agreed on any sleepovers. I woke up and you were gone and I figured you were annoyed that I had fallen asleep in your bed. It was casual and I thought that’s what you wanted. And that’s what people do, right? No pressure?”

Kurt crosses his arms in front of himself and sighs quietly. “I wouldn’t know, Blaine.”

Blaine looks at him questioningly and then a lightbulb goes off. “Yeah, I guess it was the first chance either of us had since leaving home to, you know, meet someone. For me too, I mean. It’s not like we could routinely bring anyone back to a parent’s house. I guess that’s obvious.”

“Blaine,” Kurt huffs. “It was my first opportunity since -  _ever_. You may be used to keeping it casual but I’m not. Used to keeping it casual. Or serious. Or anything at all, really. I’m from Lima, Ohio which is not exactly the gay Hogwarts of Dalton Academy.”

Blaine stops in his tracks. Kurt can see he’s blushing and shaking his head and is this it? The realization that he was Kurt’s first too much pressure for ‘Keep it casual’ Blaine. He steels himself. After what seems like too many minutes Blaine simply says, “That’s a myth.”

“What?”

“Gay Hogwarts. I mean, I’d love to go there, but that isn’t Dalton. Didn’t I tell you that nobody else was out?” Blaine asks, and Kurt remembers.

“Yeah, but just because they aren’t out to the school doesn’t mean they’re not out-”

“For the purposes of after hours in the boys’ locker room?” Blaine says somewhat sarcastically. “Nope. No illicit showers with anybody else for me.”

“Wait. What?” 

“I’m not used to keeping it casual. Or serious. Or anything else either, Kurt,” Blaine mimics. “You’re the first guy I’ve - done that with.”

“You’re kidding.” The words just fall out of Kurt’s mouth. He’s surprised. Shocked. Still processing but now Blaine looks like  _he’s_  steeling himself. “Me too, I mean. You know that, right? Me too.”  They’re quiet for a moment and then they start walking again, arms brushing each other’s. “You just seemed so confident.”

“Me? You blew off that hot older guy and then  _you_  invited  _me_  up. That takes serious confidence. Or experience. Or whatever.”

“I took a risk,” Kurt smiles. He links their pinkies as they arrive at the NYADA residences.

“Touché.”

“And now?” Kurt says, flirty, as he looks up at his building and leans against its red brick wall.

“Now we’re friends.” That is not exactly what he expected Blaine to say while  moving right into his personal space. Blaine’s in fact only inches from his face, arms on either side of him and he’s trapped by the residence wall.  

“We are,” Kurt answers, watching Blaine’s eyes flick from his face to his lips. 

“And I really don’t want to screw this up. Again.”

“No,” Kurt agrees.

“So we should probably take this more slowly?” Blaine mutters against his lips and Kurt nods. And moves closer.

Blaine’s mouth is hard on his, open and wanting and what he has been dreaming about  - literally - for weeks. Finally. Finally. He feels relief and desire as he pulls Blaine to him and lets him kiss down his neck. God, it’s so good. So good. His body is responding like a broken record,  _I want, I want, I want,_  on repeat.

After definitely not long enough, they break apart and look around. It’s a bit too  tacky to be making out like this outside. Of course. They obviously need to take it inside. They agree to sneak quickly past the noisy fraternity pledge brothers finishing up their drinking games in the residence common room and go straight to Kurt’s room - but just to have some privacy. Just for kissing. They’re clear. “Taking it slow, right?”

“I just want you to be comfortable,” Blaine says and Kurt rolls his eyes at him as he pulls him up the stairs. “So I can be comfortable.”

When Kurt’s door locks, Blaine has him up against the door in seconds, kissing him far more boldly than anything that happened last time - Pressure and strength and whispering naughty things in Kurt’s ear-  _I love your moans, don’t be shy_  (when Kurt apologized for the sound that came out with Blaine’s tongue on his collar bone),  _Do you like when I kiss your ear?_  (He does). Kurt feels like he’s melting with every hot touch. It is such a relief. It’s amazing.

“I still can’t believe you haven’t done this before.” Kurt cannot fucking believe it.

“I haven’t. Scouts honour,” Blaine says. “First kiss and everything-” He looks like he’s confessing again.

“Me too,” Kurt says quickly.

“And neither of us knew.” Blaine shakes his head. “We obviously need to take this slower.”

“Actually talk,” Kurt adds.

“Actually talk,” Blaine agrees. “Besides,” Blaine shrugs, “This making out is really fucking hot.”

Kurt’s mouth turns up in an amused smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you swear.” Kurt pushes Blaine up against the wall this time, grabbing his face.

“Only for special occasions,” Blaine says before they’re kissing and kissing again. Kurt feels bold and hot, legs intertwined with Blaine’s as he pushes up against the wall. He can feel his body responding. And it’s all so simple to him now  _yes yes yes yes yes ye_ s.

“Okay, okay,” Blaine breathes out and shivers. “It’s time for me to go.” His breath is ragged .Kurt loves it. “Taking it slow. Taking it slow,” Blaine says under his breath entirely unconvincingly, and Kurt laughs as Blaine picks up his jacket.

Kurt plops down on his bed and Blaine turns around, presumably to kiss him goodnight. So he doesn’t leave without saying goodbye again.  _Not yet_  Kurt thinks to himself and pulls on Blaine’s arm just enough so Blaine flops down beside him. Blaine laughs and kisses him, about to get up again, but Kurt tugs.

“Stay.”

...

“Stay?” Blaine lets himself be pulled down flush on top of Kurt, where he obviously is not going to want to get up. “Are you serious?”

“Mmhmm” Kurt nods, wrapping his arms around Blaine’s body. “You’re stuck now, anyways.”

Blaine makes a sound of defeated frustration as he drops his head into the crook of Kurt’s neck. “You don’t know how much I want to say yes.”

“I think I do,” Kurt’s face burns red as he pushes their bodies together where neither is really hiding how interested they are.

“Arrrgh,” Blaine mumbles again as he starts mouthing along Kurt’s neck, letting himself sink down. “I extra like it when you’re not shy like that.”

“Apparently I’m good at faking it,” Kurt says half in jest all in earnest.

“Because you hadn’t done this before,” Blaine says almost to himself as Kurt hums pleasantly beneath him. “Which is why-” He reluctantly pulls his head up to rest on his elbows, “We were supposed to be slowing this down.”  He’s trying to convince himself as much as Kurt. It is most definitely not working. 

“Stay,” Kurt says again.

“Okay,” Blaine shivers at Kurt’s hands untucking his shirt, now on his back. “So let’s -”

“Take off your clothes?” Kurt tries, smile coy and easy and Blaine still can’t believe he’s as new to this as Blaine.

“That can be one of the terms,” Blaine plays back. “But let’s agree on a few things.” Kurt hums in affirmation so Blaine continues, “In exchange for a second night of whatever happened last time-” He’s looking directly at Kurt, “We agree that-”

“You won’t leave with a note in the middle of the night?” Kurt chimes in drily.. 

“Yes,” Blaine nods happily. “We agree on a sleepover. And that we won’t do anything that makes either one of us uncomfortable.”

“God you’re cheesy,” Kurt slightly cringes at the honesty. “But yes. Agreed.”

“And that,” Blaine braces himself. “There is no expectation that this won’t happen again.” Kurt looks at him, confused, and Blaine wonders if he said too much.

“That’s too many negatives in a sentence,” Kurt seems to be calculating in his head. “So you don’t want this to happen again?”

“No! I mean, yes.” He just needs to say it.  “I mean, I don’t want either of us to think that this is just a hook up. Because it’s not. Not to me, at least,” Blaine sighs and closes his eyes.

“Soooo not just a hook up?” Blaine opens one eye and sees Kurt’s lips curling up in a smile. Okay that’s a good sign. “As in, friends with benefits?” Blaine’s face falls.

“No?” Blaine huffs. 

“No?” Kurt mimics but might actually look hopeful. Blaine hopes he’s reading him right because this is it - no two night love affair, no just a hook up, no friends with benefits.

“No like-” This is not as easy to say out loud as it is in his head.

“Mmmm?” Kurt hums the question and lifts his head from the pillow to start kissing Blaine’s neck gently. It calms him. And turns him on. God.

“Like benefits,” Blaine starts. “But not just friends. More than friends. I think it’s a little early to label anything but-”

“Are you asking me out, Blaine Anderson?” Kurt says quickly and keeps kissing him and Blaine laughs.

“If you would go on a date with me, Kurt Hummel, I would be honoured.”

“You are such a dapper gentleman,” Kurt whispers in his ear, his breath ticklish.

“Is that a  _yes_?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Kurt’s cheeks are warm and he’s smiling so happily and Blaine is smiling just as happily and he wants to high five the air. Kurt will go on a date with him. God this is so much better than playing the part of a casanova for just a hook up. Though that was definitely really hot too. But this is hotter. “So sex first. Then a first date?” 

“Sex twice,” Blaine corrects. “Then a first date.” He finally lets his body relax into Kurt’s, feels everything waking up as Kurt’s hands move from underneath his untucked shirt to squeeze his ass through his jeans. He can’t believe he’s finally going to get to do this again with Kurt. And then go on a date.

“It’s a deal,” Kurt grabs him and flips them over, Kurt’s body flush on his. It’s heaven.

Transaction completed.

...

Kurt stares up at the ceiling with a very smug look on his face. He’s glad that Blaine has fallen asleep beside him because he feels slightly ridiculous for his grin which he’s sure he’ll be able to better hide under a veneer of cool confidence in the morning. But for now he just wants to remember how Blaine screamed - yes, actually screamed (sorry neighbours), when he… you know… finished. After Kurt  _did that_ to him. Kurt may still be a bit awkward with saying out loud all the language of the fun, sexy, dirty things they’re doing, but he’s apparently very very good at doing them. Well, Blaine thinks so. And Blaine is really good at them so Kurt figures he’s the perfect judge. Also Blaine has no trouble using all those x-rated words which is completely embarrassing and impossibly hot.

The sex this time was better. Which is saying something because sex with Blaine was good enough last time to literally preoccupy him for an entire month. But this time, the book was open - inexperienced, eager, imperfect, but definitely wanting to be there. Understanding is, apparently, the best aphrodisiac because Kurt was relaxed (well, as relaxed as possible trying to go down on someone for the first time) and Blaine was relaxed, enough to say things like  _wanna give you another blowjob,_  and  _I like the way you taste_ (Really? Kurt gets liking the reaction, he really liked Blaine’s reaction, but the taste?), and  _squeeze my ass - harder._  Blaine in his boldness even said,  _you’re big, Kurt. Really big. It’s hot._

Blaine is hot. Sex with Blaine was amazing. Once they had agreed that Blaine was staying (and that they were going on a date), it took them about three annoying minutes to get all their clothes off their bodies and on to the floor. Kurt was lying on top of Blaine, fidgeting with his well-tied bowtie, and they were just far too not naked yet.

“I’m just going to do this myself,” Blaine snuck out from under Kurt and stood up. He expertly undid his bowtie, shirt, and jeans, quickly throwing off his undershirt and tight black briefs. He was hard. “Sorry. I just-”

“No. Don’t apologize,” Kurt let himself stare at Blaine. “I’m enjoying the show.” Flirting may be awkward. But it’s fun. And Blaine naked is fun. Blaine raised his eyebrows and turned around as he bent over to pick up his clothes. Very slowly and deliberately. His ass is amazing.

“Your turn,” Blaine crawled back on the bed and started unbuttoning Kurt’s shirt. With Kurt’s help they were both naked a minute later. Hard and wrapped around each other and kissing and touching everywhere. Kurt kept moaning because Blaine kept encouraging it.  _You like that? I’ll do it again, I want to turn you on_  - and that seemed to turn Blaine on so it was a win/win.

And of course, Blaine didn’t wait to kiss down his body and do  _that._  Again.  “I still can’t believe you’d never done this before. Last time. I mean. It was so good,” Kurt panted out the compliments as Blaine lay between his legs. Blaine just grabbed his hands and interlaced their fingers as he sunk down.“This is all I’ve been thinking about for a month.”

And later, Kurt tried. “Honestly, no pressure, Kurt. I’m not in a rush and I want you to be comfortable. Because I love everything we’re doing-” Blaine was sweet. And understanding. And annoying. 

“Please stop talking and shut up so I can go down on you.” Kurt cut him off and Blaine obliged. And he apparently succeeded because, as he said before, Blaine screamed. 

But Kurt’s favorite moment of the night wasn’t even that. Wasn’t even the endless string of praise and swear words falling out of Blaine’s mouth afterwards, wasn’t even when Blaine was focused on him. It was afterwards. They were lying underneath Kurt’s sheet, tangled up and naked and talking about the rumours their exit will have no doubt caused in the Adam’s Apples.  _Let’s give ‘em something to talk about_ , Blaine sang in his ear. What a dork. They were falling in and out of light sleep, when Blaine popped up. “Shit.”

“It’s hot when you swear.”

“No, I mean actually,” Blaine said. “Sam has no idea where I am. He might start the dead in a ditch kind of rumour.”

“Not the night of passion kind?” Kurt says and Blaine smiles at him. It’s nice. 

Blaine stood up, still completely naked, and picked up his phone. “I’ll just text him so we make sure he starts an accurate rumour.” Kurt hummed as Blaine typed. Blaine’s bare ass was leaning against Kurt’s desk, body soft, like a model posing, typing the text and completely unself-conscious as Kurt stared at him. There’s no “base” for first time casually chatting while naked. But it’s definitely a first.

“How’s this?  _Not coming back tonight. At Kurt’s._ ”

Kurt laughed. “To the point. I think he’ll get the message.”

Blaine looked up. “Have you been staring at me?”

“Maybe.” Blaine looked pleased. “Now can you please come back to bed? You’re too far away.” They kissed for a long time after that. And Blaine fell asleep.

Kurt’s smug smile at the ceiling is only interrupted by the embarrassingly affectionate one he keeps getting when he looks down at Blaine beside him, breathing softly. He is still definitely a silly romantic. But the smug smiles comes back - because he’s also a sex god.

...

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! 

“You there? It’s 11 o’clock!” A female voice jolts Blaine out of sleep. “Come on, wake up!”

What the? Blaine was just having a fantastic dream that he was in bed with Kurt and it’s going to end with Rachel Berry crashing in to knock him out of it. He opens his eyes.

“Kurt? Are you in there?” Rachel’s voice continues. Blaine is not in his own bed.  “I have been waiting for a full report since I woke up two hours ago! Are you still sleeping?”

Kurt pops up beside him. “I am so sorry about her,” He whispers to Blaine. “Yes, Rachel. I was still sleeping. Though obviously not anymore,” Kurt says more loudly to the voice behind the door. 

“Oh a late night?” Rachel sing songs as Kurt rolls his eyes at Blaine, clearly irritated. Blaine bites his lower lip and tries not to laugh out loud. “Open this door so I can actually hear about it!” Her persistence is admirable. Though that might not be the word Kurt would choose. 

Kurt stands up, naked, and wow. This is way better than leaving in the middle of the night. Kurt in the morning - messy hair, long body, soft, warm. Kurt pulls on his boxers and a white t-shirt and sits on the edge of the bed. “You wanna borrow a pair?” Kurt mouths quietly to him and grabs another pair of boxers. “Or do you just wanna use-” Kurt points to his black briefs shoved under the desk on the floor.

“I’ll borrow,” Blaine says quickly. “If you don’t mind, I mean-”

“I don’t mind,” Kurt says back quickly, tossing him the boxers. “But you have to wear these.” Kurt blushes at the black boxers with little red hearts all over them.

“If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that an ex-boyfriend gave these to you,” Blaine whispers back as he pulls them up.

“Just a gag gift on Valentine’s Day from my friend Mercedes, I’m afraid.” 

“Well, lucky me, then.” Waking up at 11am in Kurt’s bed, wearing Kurt’s heart shaped boxers. Accurate.

“Oh my god, Kurt!” Rachel again. “Please don’t tell me there’s another note. If he left you with a note again, I’m going to-” Rachel is huffing as Kurt opens the door a crack and sticks his head out.

“Good morning, Rachel.”

“Oh good, you’re up.” Blaine is on the bed behind Kurt and can’t see his face but he’s sure it’s meme-worthy. “Why are you just standing there? Let me in so I can hear about this night.”

“No note this time, Rachel,” Blaine answers as he stands up behind Kurt, resting his head over Kurt’s shoulder. Rachel’s jaw drops and Kurt smirks.

“No note,” Kurt repeats.

“Hi Rachel,” Blaine says brightly. “We had a lovely night. Thank you for asking.” He wants to continue just to prolong the satisfied look on Kurt’s face. And the shock on Rachel’s.

“Oh my god, Kurt!” Rachel grabs Kurt’s hands. “Blaine stayed over!”

Kurt sneaks a quick look at Blaine peaking out over his shoulder. “He did?”

“He’s here!” Rachel says again, ignoring the sarcasm. Blaine’s gotta hand it to her  - she looks almost as excited as he feels. And though he’d never say it out loud, he loves the approval. “You’ll give me all the details later,” she stage whispers to Kurt.

“Ha!” Kurt laughs, opening the door to let her in as he pulls on the rest of his clothes and throws Blaine a sweater. “Nothing to report, really. We drank tea and listened to show tunes. The usual.” Rachel crosses her arms and looks at Blaine, hoping for a hook.

“Alright Rachel. I’ll give - “ Blaine says and Kurt turns to him sharply. “It was mint tea. And the West Side Story soundtrack.” Kurt smiles.

“Gender flexible,” Kurt adds. “I played Mario. Of course.”

“Of course,” Blaine agrees.

“We all know what happens in West Side Story,” Rachel hints as she hums ‘One Hand, One Heart’.

“Yes. And luckily, we’ve lived to see the morning,” Kurt answers back. “Now can we meet you downstairs and go to brunch or something. I’m starving.”

“I’ll text Sam and Tina to join us. Where to?”

“This calls for a celebration!” Rachel claps her hands. “Bacon! I need bacon! How about Hog’s Hollow Cafe?” Rachel waves and leaves to get her purse as Kurt closes the door.

“Sounds good to me. But isn’t she a vegetarian?” Blaine asks. “And Jewish?”

“Only selectively,” Kurt says drily. “Any momentous occasions in her life - like me having sex - call for crispy pig parts.”

“It  _was_  pretty momentous.” Blaine pushes Kurt up against the closed door, bodies flush and waking up, interested again. Blaine groans. “I know she’s waiting downstairs.”

Kurt groans. “You see what a terrible influence she is. I’m being forced to go out and eat artery clogging saturated fats with greasy potatoes, instead of staying here for a cardio work out.” 

“I promise a work out this afternoon then,” Blaine smiles. “As long as, you know, I’m not going to tire you out.”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

Blaine feels confident they will easily achieve their fitness goals by the end of the month.

...

By the time Friday rolls around, the chosen night for their first date, Kurt has already spent two nights, six lunch times, and four cafeteria dinners with Blaine. And they were even caught holding hands in Apples’ practice. In Kurt’s defense, they were not actually holding hands. They were sitting in the auditorium seats while Adam worked with the sopranos up at the front, and so what if their pinkies happened to overlap on the edges of their chairs? That’s hardly making out in public. Though by the way Jenny and Sarah squealed, you’d think they were sopranos too. Anyways, Kurt was feeling pretty good about the whole thing.

“We don’t really need a first date, you know. I mean, I think we’re kind of already - you know.” Kurt won’t be the one to put a label on it. But they don’t really need a first date.

“Of course we do,” Blaine smiles at him over their cafeteria french fries and squeezes his thigh under the table. “What kind of a boyfriend do you think I am?” Blaine obviously has no such qualms. But Kurt isn’t arguing.

So on Friday evening, Kurt puts on his tightest skinny jeans, an amazing cream diagonal cut half sweater and red button down underneath to complete the outfit. And his hair is perfection. As always.  “I love your style,” Blaine says when he sizes him up as they meet in the lobby of Kurt’s dorm. 

“Thank you,” Kurt smiles mischieviously. “Though I’m warning you, removing these jeans may be a tall order later on.”

“I’m up for the challenge,” Blaine smirks. Kurt’s sure he is. 

Blaine planned the evening. The Rent movie is playing at the campus rep theatre which Kurt agrees is perfect serendipity. They both saw the community theatre production in Lima years ago - where they might have met, but they didn’t. They talked about it on the night they actually met more than a month ago -  where they could have started something, but they didn’t. And now it’s here to ring in the actual beginning of something - which it isn’t. But they can call it their first date anyways.

“The theme is,” Blaine starts as they make their way into the theatre. “High school dates that never happened are better in college anyways.” Blaine planned a theme. Of course he did. They sit down, a popcorn between them to share. A movie, shared popcorn, a pizza dinner afterwards. A perfect cliche.

“Does that mean you’ve told your friends you’re going to try to make it to second base in the backseat of your parents’ car later?” Kurt whispers as the lights go down.

Blaine lets his fingers linger over Kurt’s in the buttery bag. “Third base. In your bed. All night.” Blaine breathes in his ear.

“What a player. I’m sure they’ll be impressed.” Kurt is impressed. The date is simple and obvious and appropriate to starving student budgets. But also Rent and the very thing they couldn’t have in high school - A date in all its ordinary glory. They hold hands the whole time. They sing  _Seasons of Love_  quietly under their breaths. And when Collins and Angel duet, Blaine leans over and kisses Kurt’s cheek. Completely corny but Kurt will never begrudge Blaine romantic sentimentality. He may be somewhat of a silly romantic himself.

They’re starving by the time they arrive at the pizza restaurant and Blaine, of course, thought ahead to make a reservation. “It’s Friday night on campus - we’d never get a seat otherwise,” Blaine explains and Kurt is impressed again. The waiter escorts them to their table and there is one long stemmed red rose placed at his seat. Very impressed.  

“You planned this?”

“That or the waiter is trying to steal my date,” Blaine dismisses in perfect false modesty. Kurt picks up the rose and smiles.

“I’ll have to tell him I’m taken.” Kurt is sure they must look like lovestruck teenagers with the way they’re staring at each other. Also on theme.

“Blaine! Kurt!” They’re snapped out of their puppy eyes’ daze to Sam’s excited voice as he walks in to the restaurant.

“It’s Sam,” Kurt says to Blaine questioningly.

“It is,” Blaine says back, equally confused. The door opens again. “And Tina. And Jen. And Scott. Look it’s half my dorm floor.” Blaine’s eyes go wide and apologetic.

“Did they wire tap you or something?” Kurt whispers under his breath.

“This is such a coincidence, guys! We can join you.” Sam takes up the table beside Blaine, who looks stricken, but Kurt laughs. Perhaps the campus pizza place isn’t a super secret hideaway.

“Yeah, join us. For sure,” Kurt smiles at Sam genuinely and Blaine gives him a look.

“Wait. You guys aren’t - I mean, I know you guys are - But this isn’t like a special pizza or something, is it?” Sam does clue in eventually.

“Well we were on a date,” Blaine says pointedly.

“We were,” Kurt affirms but mouths to Blaine “It’s okay.” He’s surprised that he means it.

“Shit. I am sorry, dude-Oh my god, there’s even a rose,” Sam starts.

“It’s okay. You can stay, really,” Blaine says to Sam but he’s looking at Kurt for confirmation.

“I’ve already got my rose, anyways,” Kurt nods. “And this way I can get all the inside scoop about Blaine.”

“Yes!” Tina claps her hands as she pulls up beside Kurt. “Has he told you that he flosses three times a day?” Tina stage whispers. Blaine rolls his eyes.

“That is a lot,” Kurt nods at Blaine.

“Are you complaining about my impeccable oral hygiene?” Blaine pings his straw wrapper at Kurt. who’s enjoying Blaine’s dorm mates’ enthusiasm for his quirks. Which is really enthusiasm for Blaine. Which Kurt can definitely appreciate.

“He plays piano at midnight.”

“He has a step stool to reach the top shelf in the closet.”

“He keeps a stash of juice boxes.”

“But you know what’s super weird?” Tina asks Kurt. “He somehow turns from dapper grandpa with admittedly classically handsome looks to like a freakishly sexy rock star when he sings.” 

Kurt smirks at Blaine knowingly. “You’ll have to perform for me one day.”

“Isn’t that how I won you over in the first place?”

“I think it was in the second place. But yes.” Blaine takes Kurt’s hand over the salt and pepper shakers and interlaces their fingers.

“Oh!” Sam slaps the table. “He has 43 bowties. 43.”

“43?” Kurt repeats and Blaine shrugs innocently.

“Maybe.”

After a dinner of too much perfectly greasy pizza and a reasonable amount of funny stories about Blaine (and a few about Sam too, for good measure), Blaine manages to politely decline going out drinking in favor of ‘turning in early’. 

“I know what that means,” Sam winks. 

“Genius,” Kurt says under his breath and Blaine laughs.

“Don’t wait up, Sam,” Blaine pats him on the shoulder, finally sending him on his merry way.

“You sure you didn’t mind all my friends crashing our date?” Blaine asks him genuinely. “I may have planned the rose, but the extra guests were not on the agenda.”

“It was perfect,” Kurt links his arm through Blaine’s as they make their way back to his dorm. “Group dates are very high school. Fits the theme.”

“That’s true,” Blaine agrees. “But still, it was meant to be an actual date.”

Kurt shakes his head. “There will be more dates. I believe you have another 42 bowties to show me, anyways.”

...

Kurt and Blaine walk into the almost three quarters full gym - decorated with slightly more flare this time for the second Queer NYADA mixer of the year. Thanks to both the theme - an 80′s dance night -  and to Kurt’s natural flare for design, there are iconic 80′s movies posters on the wall, flourescent balloons and streamers, and the tables are covered in printed up 80′s newspaper headlines - Rubik’s Cube raves, Lennon’s murder, Margaret Thatcher. The whole thing is actually pretty cool. And that goes double for Kurt’s impeccable [George Michael outfit](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aceshowbiz.com%2Fcelebrity%2Fwham_%2F&t=ZjRkM2Y0ZWUyODgyZGZhNzNkMjI4MjcwOGJmOGU2YzRjMzBkN2M3NyxOM1lXM054Yw%3D%3D&b=t%3AoqvWnwLqTS7hfFqvQCjo4Q&p=http%3A%2F%2Fgleekto.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F181531051210&m=1) to match with Blaine’s Andrew Ridgley. 

They’re just grabbing a soda when Kurt spots a group by the chip bowl. “Don’t look at ten o’clock. Cassie-from-Portland warning.” Blaine nods and looks and looks directly at two.

“Kurt! Blaine! Get over here.” Newly dyed green-haired Dani-the-dyke spots them. Unfortunately she’s a part of the Cassie group - encounter now inevitable. Kurt turns to Blaine as they brace themselves, smiling as they turn and walk over.  “You remember Matt” Dani says.  Kurt smirks and Blaine’s eyes go wide.

“Hey Matt,” Kurt nods. 

“I don’t actually think that we ever -” Blaine starts holding out his hand and sizing up the muscled white t-shirt boy who tried to come on to Kurt now two months ago. The only thing Blaine remembers about him is that he also wore a tight white t-shirt last time. Only difference is this time he’s in acid washed jeans. At least he’s on theme.

“This is Blaine-” Kurt interrupts. “My boyfriend.” Blaine shakes Matt’s hand firmly, and Kurt can see that he’s pleased with himself. And Kurt may be a little bit pleased with himself too.

“Sorry I forgot you didn’t meet Blaine last time. These two are practically yoked together these days,” Dani teases knocking into Kurt.

“The only time you see us is at Queer NYADA meetings, Dani. Being reliable members is hardly being attached at the hip,” Kurt defends and motions at his bare neck. “No collars on me.” Blaine’s cheeks go hot, Matt’s jaw drops, and Dani barks out loud.

“TMI, friend. Whatever you guys are into behind closed doors-” She’s laughing and slaps Kurt shoulder.

“Oh my god,” Kurt rolls his eyes. “Perverts, all of you.”

“Guilty,” Blaine whispers in his ear.

“Collars are awesome,” Cassie-from-Portland chimes in. “ I have a chest of toys just for that type of play-”  Kurt turns sharply to Blaine as they both shake their heads rapidly.

“You’ll have to excuse us,” Blaine says quickly and Kurt appreciates that he thinks on his feet. “They’re sort of playing our song.” Kurt nods as Blaine pulls him away as he shrugs faux-apologetically. 

“Yoked I tell you!” Dani yells after them.

“Well, if the choice is being collared to you or listening to tales of Dani’s sex life, lock me up,” Kurt says non-chalantly as Blaine pulls him into his arms, the music thumping.

“Please stop with the collar talk,” Blaine breathes in his ear. “You in that basically absent tank top and tight jeans speaking casually of collars,” Blaine shudders. -”You’re turning me on.” 

“The more you know,” Kurt looks at him, amused, and moves their bodies together. “Hey wait. This is-” Kurt points to the speakers [as the lyrics start.](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Freload%3D9%26v%3Dan8545H4eUY&t=MzY5YWNkZGJjNGMxNzkzMzA0OTQ0MmY3M2UzZjUzNzdkMTdlNDIwYyxOM1lXM054Yw%3D%3D&b=t%3AoqvWnwLqTS7hfFqvQCjo4Q&p=http%3A%2F%2Fgleekto.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F181531051210&m=1)

Blaine’s eyes sparkle. “Yeah. Bryan Adams - well, the remix. I told you, they’re playing our song.”

“This isn’t  _One Night Love Affair._ ”

“No,” Blaine says kissing Kurt’s neck. “It isn’t,” Blaine sings in his ear, giving him goosebumps. “ _Now nothin’ can take you away from me. We’ve been down that road before. But that’s over now. You keep me comin’ back for more._ _Baby, you’re all that I want.”_

“Heaven?” Kurt remembers as Blaine pulls their bodies flush, still kissing his neck. Though he thinks they may need to have a detailed discussion about the limited pros and greater cons of mapping out their relationship with Bryan Adam’s songs, he’ll indulge Blaine for tonight. “While this really is,” Kurt’s  breath shakes and he takes a step back, “Now you’re turning  _me_  on, and I think we’re going to need to pause until this later on.” 

“Does this mean you’ll take me home? I still know what a countertenor is.” Blaine pulls him close again.

Kurt looks over at Matt currently throwing chips into the air and catching them in his mouth and then back at Blaine’s twinkling flirtatious mischievous eyes. “Thank god for your dapper bow ties and for my excellent judgment.”

“Mmmm,” Blaine hums in agreement. Thank god. “And for that tank top.”

 

 


End file.
